To Fall And To Rise
by Hlbur14
Summary: Faye is an outsider, locked in exile. Surrounded by darkness and forever stripped of her wings, she can do nothing but sit in self loathing. But when the Guardians need a new member, all are reluctant to recruit this rebel, especially Jack Frost. Faye must learn to redeem herself, but how can she do that when years of exile has made her lose faith even in herself?
1. New Member

**So I saw Rise Of The Guardians the other day, and I don't care that it's a kids film, because I thought it was absolutely beautiful, from the animation to the story itself. I loved the depth of Jack Frost and just, well, how real his character was! So I decided to write something of my own about it, just to get it out of my system :P Please give it a chance, you may like it!**

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I could tell you so many things about me. I could tell you about my human life, from the moment I was able to remember things to the day I died. I could tell you about the day I became something else entirely; a creature with wings as beautiful and delicate as a dragonfly's, with eyes a liquid violet, my face framed with a type of black armour that covered most of my face, sparing only my eyes and mouth. I could tell you about the first time I began to fly, or I could tell about the day I lost my wings. I could tell you about how my life fell apart, or the time I was thrown into exile.

But I'll skip all of that.

Instead, I'll tell you about the time my life was changed forever. I'll tell you about how I found out my destiny and my alliance, and along with it, I'll tell you how I began to believe in myself.

I wasn't any ordinary fairy. I was everything bad and dark, everything cold and bitter, everything people feared. So this story I'm about to tell you is that of a wild roller coaster, and it all centered around five individuals; the big man North, the grumpy Bunnymund, the stunning Tooth, a child with beliefs beyond my own, and a hellion by the name of Jack Frost.

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I watched them fighting above my head, going for one another's throats, flinging every bit of dark magic they could muster. I simply rolled my eyes, effectively dodging their attacks when they went amiss. They were young and bored, so I couldn't really say anything; we were all bored. Living in exile wasn't exactly luxurious. It was dark here, with little life beyond ourselves, and we weren't technically _alive. _It was the place of everything negative, place where you would never see an innocent stray because of the risk of never returning to the realm of safety.

The children suddenly had the attentions caught, for their mother was called them from the distance. Brother and sister. I wasn't sure what kind of creatures they were, for they weren't anything in the fairy category; they had no wings but could still fly. Perhaps they were controllers of the elements, for the girl could make fireballs. I think the boy could do something with water, but I wasn't sure. Either way, they weren't like me. I watched them shoot through the sky, still in disagreement as they raced for a figure in the distance.

I puffed out a sigh. Oh how I wished I could fly. Instead I was stuck down on the ground, unable to defy gravity and instead kicking up the black dirt with my toes. Now that the children had gone to do whatever it was they had to do, I strolled away with my undying envy. I watched the skirts of my dress turn an emerald colour, reflecting my emotion. Disgusted, I pushed my envy aside, thinking of nothing but darkness and I watched the skirt morph back to a murky grey. That's better.

I was at a disadvantage here. With the power of showing my emotions, I could easily give myself away. That was dangerous here, for every being here was dangerous, especially when you were alone. I was already a target for being small and flightless, so showing any other form of weakness was practically suicide.

"Hey, Faye! You're getting sloppy with your emotions!" I smiled slightly. That was the voice of Mia, my fellow fairy friend who was more in touch with her own emotions. I watched as she planted her feet on the ground with a grace I too was capable of, but limited in doing so. She tried not to fly around me for she knew what it did to me, but sometimes that tiny glance was enough to send a pang through my still heart.

She was a vibrant red today. The layers of her dress shone different shades of red, glimmering despite the gloominess of the world we were surrounded by. I saw my reflection in her protective covering around her face, and what I saw was a wingless creature with ridiculous black armour. Although, it had saved me once or twice, I'd give it that. Mia's stunning blue eyes met mine, and it always amazed me how she could be so happy when we lived in a world such as this one, especially when I was the reason she was here.

She smiled widely as she approached, poking me in the chest. "You seriously need to let go, Faye. Can't pretend to be emotionless forever."

"I can if it means keeping me out of trouble." I informed her, watching as she fell into step with me.

"It's all about confidence. I've told you a million times! The people here will target you for you size and lack of flying, but if you were confident, they'd back off." she told me, punching my arm.

"Easy for you to say."

"I suppose it is. Well, I need to save you butt since I missed the last few times you got into trouble."

"You don't owe me anything, Mia." I murmured, meeting her gaze. She simply smiled, hooking her elbow around my neck and guiding me along.

"We've been attached to the hip for nearly a century, I wasn't going to abandon you before this, and I'm not going to abandon you now. So suck it up." I smiled, leaning into her embrace and her kind words. Her kindness was something I treasured immensely, for it was the only kind of compassion I got around here. I sighed, causing her to look at me.

My feet were hurting. After getting gnawed at all day every day on the hard, gritty ground, it sometimes became too much. I looked back at Mia with a glint in my eyes. "Can you go for a ride? I'm sick of this gritty ground; I don't think my feet can take any more!"

"I thought you'd never ask!" she beamed, and her arm snaked around my waist. Her wings began to buzz with life, and in just a few moments, we were souring through the air. For a moment I was content, just feeling the normally still air blast into my face. I let the sound of Mia's wings fill my ears, and as I closed my eyes, I pretended that the sound of those wings were the sound of my own. For a moment, I felt alive once again.

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Jack Frost drifted through the window to North's workshop, where he found his fellow guardians already waiting. He grinned at their disapproving looks, for arms were folded and feet were tapping with impatience. He met North's wondrous gaze, shrugging his shoulders with an almost lazy gesture.

"What can I say, I pull off being fashionably late." he said, smirking at Bunnymund's eye rolling.

"G'day mate, glad you could finally join us." the oversized rabbit said. Jack went to stand beside him.

"You miss me, you oversized fur ball?" he snickered.

"Not now, you two. We have business to take care of." North's heavy accent broke in, and it was absent of his normal jolly tune. Jack's face instantly fell serious, for North was never serious unless he had some be. Something was wrong, something that involved the safety of the children. Something that involved Jamie. That thought alone was enough to get him focused for he took his job seriously when it came to that human boy. Ever since Jamie was able to see Jack, the guardian made it his own personal job to watch over him and take care of him during his rounds in the winter. Jamie was a very clumsy boy, and just last winter Jack had to intervene in Jamie's life. The worse was when he fell onto thin ice during a day of sledging, and it was almost a mirrored event of what had happened to Jack's sister. Jack had only just been able to reach Jamie before the ice had caved in under his feet.

The teenage spirit shook the memory away. "What's going on?"

"It isn't just the children that are in danger this time, guardians." North said in a somber tone.

"Is Pitch back? That can't be possible, can it?" Tooth said, hovering around North's globe, trying to spot anything out of the norm. All the believers of the children still shone a promising gold.

"No, not Pitch. Rebels."

"Rebels?" Bunnymund asked, frowning.

"The outsiders. Fairies, goblins, merpeople, the lot. They grow stronger, and the barriers of the underworld are growing weak. It won't be long before they break free and harm all the humans of the world."

"_What? _No, there has to be something we can do!" Jack shouted, instantly panicked. The others were tense around him; Bunnymund was chewing at his nails, Tooth kept weaving her fingers through the feathers on her head, and Sandy simply covered his face with worry. No, no, no, there had to be a way to stop them. There had to be! If something were to happen to Jamie-

"I spoke to the Man in the Moon." North said.

"And?" the guardians said in unison.

"We need a new recruit."

"Another bloody guardian? Are you kidding me, mate? Surely five is enough!" Bunnymund burst out. Jack looked at him, as did the others, as for some reason he hadn't heard the inner meaning to North's words. Another guardian, but not one like themselves. They needed someone strong, someone capable, someone _dangerous. _Jack turned his icy gaze back to the tall, bearded man before them, gritting his teeth with disapproval. The old man met the boy's gaze, and gave the slight bob of his head.

"No." was all Jack said.

"We have to listen to what the Moon tells us, Jack." North said.

"I don't care. No!"

"Am I missing something here?" Bunnymund demanded hotly.

North led the four to the circle that was in line with the moon. What the others had missed was the ice sculpture, a piece of shimmering ice that held the being of their new guardian. Jack stood in front of it, gazing at it as he tried to put a name to a face. It was a fairy, a girl with wings very similar to Tooth's, but she had a more human side to her. Her face was shielded with black armour, a sign of her darkness, a sign of poison. She floated before them with a look of despair, and just looking at her was enough to tell that she was going to bring nothing but trouble, even more so than what Jack had done.

"I think the Moon has lost his marbles." Bunnymund said quietly.

"Oh dear." Tooth whispered, who was patting a very worried looking Sandy on the shoulder.

"Please, North, see sense!" Jack exploded. "She's dangerous! She'll betray us if we get her out! She'll hurt people, she'll hurt Jam-"

"Jack, Jack, not doing anything will also bring Jamie harm. We have to try something, and if this is what the Moon thinks we should do, then we do it." Tooth soothed, flying towards him and grasping the boys shoulder's like a mother would to her child. Jack met her gaze with anguish, but he knew she was right.

"Fine. But on one condition." he said, looking past Tooth and at North. "I want to be the one to bring her here."

"Sounds good. But I think you should take Bunny, too." North said.

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

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	2. Capture

**Chapter two :) **

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I yelped as my body hit the ground, dirt falling into my mouth and making me spit. I shuddered with the slight pain that ran through my body, feeling frail and useless. I peered up, pulling myself onto my hands and knees. They were fairies, but I preferred to call them demons. They had eyes redder than blood, their fangs biting into their somewhat deformed human faces. They looked to be a mix of humans, rats and something else entirely, and for small things they were freakishly strong. They couldn't talk, only make sounds that resembled laughter.

"Leave me alone!" I yelped, trying to crawl away. There were four of them, and one snarled in protest. I felt it ram into my side, sending me rolling onto my back with a stifled cry.

These creatures were born to cause pain, I knew that much. But, because of the fact that they were exiled, they had no choice but to cause havoc on the weaker of those in this place. Meaning me, the poor wingless being who'd might as well be a human. However, when they did attack, I somehow felt like I deserved it more often than not. There was a reason why I was here; I might as well have taken a beating along to way to learn from my mistakes. But with those lessons I knew that I would only continue to fall.

"Get out of here you little beasts! Go! Scat!" came a booming voice, a voice I knew very well. Instantly the creatures vanished, frightened and releasing cries of fright. I stumbled to my feet, half heartedly brushing myself down and freeing myself of the dirt. I didn't want to look at the owner of the voice, I didn't want to acknowledge his presence. I just wanted to be left alone.

"My dear child, you must keep your head down in this world. How many times?" he cackled, next to no sympathy in his voice.

"What's the point in hiding? Being seen as a coward would only draw even more attention to myself." I said, not turning.

"Not having wings is to no advantage to you, dear one, there is no escaping it. Hiding would be your best bet in getting through your time here."

"My time here meaning forever." I muttered, stalking off. I heard the swishing of air behind me, and all of a sudden a black dog was walking by my feet, a mutt of no particular breed and looking more like a demon in itself. It did not look solid, but more like a shadow. A shadow with gleaming red eyes that gazed at me with curiosity. If I could have, I would have flown into the air with disgust. "Just leave me alone!"

It barked, snapping at my ankle. I jumped away, more angry and frightened. I watched the dog morph back into a nearly human shape, a man. Only the figure remained in shadow, the only visible thing being its eyes, still red and gleaming. He was incredibly tall, so much so I had to crane my head to look into those eyes.

"You mustn't speak to me in such a way, young one. That will only land you in my bad books." He murmured, his voice as smooth as silk.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"I keep telling you. You are a powerful creature, but for some absurd reason you refuse to believe me."

"Yeah, because a wingless fairy sounds oh so mighty and powerful." I snapped.

"You long for your wings back." he observed. I clapped my hands slowly and dramatically, a gesture that practically screamed sarcasm. A low chuckle rumbled from inside the figure, where however was beyond me. A disfigured hand came towards me from the mass, forming coal black fingers with nails sharpened to a point. He used one tip to touch my chin and lift up my head, the nail threatening to break skin. I remained still, unaffected.

"Such a beautiful creature. You would be perfect for what I have planned in this world." He said softly. He turned my head this way and that as he inspected my face, and then the curve of his nail snaked down my throat, leaving a chill on my skin.

"What _do _you have planned?" I asked, watching the hand draw back and disappear into the mass. Another chuckle.

"The barriers are breaking. It won't be long before we are free from this retched place. Perhaps, should I become strong enough, I could re-grow those wings of yours." he said softly, but with every intention of trying to get under my skin. I glared at him, having heard this before so many times over the years.

"Heard it before, and oh, look, I'm still grounded!" I stormed off, folding my arms tightly across my chest and refusing to look back.

"Your time will come!" he called. I rolled my eyes.

That was the Shifter. He had no name, no face, and no true form. He was just a shadow with the ability of taking on any form in any place. He sent shivers down many spines here, but not me. He had a fascination with me because I had the capability to resist his temptations. He made promises too often, and I had learned to never get my hopes up. A world like this was full of lies and deceit, and I wasn't about to fall into the trap what many would call _hope. _

As I walked, I felt a chill in the air. Odd. There was never a chill in the air. This was the land of hopelessness and darkness, where everything was still and dying. Miles and miles of dead trees, dark skies and black ground, littered with thousands of footsteps that were never stirred by the wind. It was basically the land of nothing.

"Faye! Did you feel that? _Did you feel that?_" Mia came zooming at me from out of nowhere, ploughing into me and sending both of us to the ground.

"Where were you ten minutes ago?" I shouted, shoving her off me.

"Busy feeling the sensation of _wind! _It's been coming and going for the last few hours!" she cried, her voice filled with joy, and I thought I could see tears in her eyes. She hadn't lost hope, and I thought she was stupid for it. I glared down at her as I jumped to my feet.

"It's just a glitch in the air! So what if there's wind? How is wind going to get us out of here?" I demanded hotly. She remained unfazed, her feet leaving the ground as she began to fly around me, too excited to care about my feelings.

"Remember home? The place where the wind let us fly, carrying us over the landscape and giving us a sense of freedom! I haven't felt wind in my face for over ten years, so excuse me for being excited!" all of a sudden, a gust of wind flew into my back, knocking me forward a step. Mia shot through the air with little help from her wings, and naturally she let out a cry of pure joy, somersaulting in time with the wind. I tore my eyes away from her, searching the landscape. Something was most defiantly off.

"Mia! Get down here!" I bellowed. She ignored me as another gust attacked us, sending her into a lapse of screaming bliss, shouting 'wind' over and over again. I looked around, and the other residents of this realm were just as unsettled as I was. Mia may have been unaware of what was happening, but I had never been more alert. In the murky lake beyond, I saw the merpeople slip into the black water in retreat, and I saw the smaller creatures go underground and others climb into the safety of the dead trees. "Mia..." I said, but it was barely audible.

And then she screamed. I spun, and there it was. The portal! The divider of all worlds, the gateway to freedom! For a moment I was overtaken with disbelief and joy, but then reality set in. Mia was screaming in terror, and in an instant she was flying away like a shot, leaving me there.

"The guardians!" someone shrieked. I watched as two being leapt through the portal, a huge rabbit who I knew as the Easter Bunny, and a boy with frosty white hair and holding a staff in both hands. Many creatures ran at the new comers, others for the portal, but in an instant the portal had vanished. I watched, frozen, as a dozen pixies no bigger than my palm flew at the two guardians in attack, but the boy seemed unfazed. One minute, the pixies were flying with every bit of vengeance, and the next they fell to the ground, frozen. It didn't take me long to understand that this boy was none other than Jack Frost, and as I thought it, his eyes met mine.

I ran. I was out of there like a shot, my feet slamming into the ground and propelling me forward. I may have been unable to fly, but that didn't stop me from running with the speed of a rabbit, it not faster. If there was one thing I feared, it was the guardians. They had put me here, and whatever brought them here could mean nothing good. Were they punishing one of us? Surely not, we were being punished enough! I didn't stop to ponder, only sprinted to the nearest hole in the ground, diving into it.

"A tunnel? Are you kidding me mate? I'm a bloody bunny!" boomed the Australian voice of the rabbit. So they were after _me! _I looked over my shoulder to see that the rabbit was giving chase while Frosty fended off some of my fellow residents, doing it rather flawlessly. "Come here, you little-" I went to jump into the hole, only to purposely miss it so that the head of the rabbit went in as I continued to run.

Run, run, run! Find Mia, get her to fly us out of here! That was all I could do! I couldn't have cared less that she had abandoned me, I just didn't want to face _them! _

"Gotcha!" shouted the rabbit. I screamed, watching as he appeared out of the ground in front of me, making me skid to a stop. He went to make a grab for me, but I slammed my feet into his body, sending him flying.

"Bunny!" Frosty bellowed. I took off again, but this time I wasn't so lucky. His body collided into mine, sending the both of us rolling through the dirt in a desperate struggle. I kicked and scratched and bit, but the boy was far too strong. The rabbit joined him, and both pinned me to the ground, pinning my arms behind my back as if I were under arrest.

"That's new." Frosty observed.

"No wings, huh."

"Shut up and let me go!" I shrieked.

"No can do, kiddo. Your time here's over." the rabbit told me.

"We should have brought Sandy, would have made this job a lot easier." Frosty muttered, keeping me pinning and sitting on my back.

"Good thing he gave us a portion, then ain't it?" I saw a flicker of gold in what looked to be a vial, and my squirming intensified.

"No! No, no, no!"

"Be quiet, will ya? Frostbite, get that globe ready."

"Ready and waiting."

"Good, let's get out of here." I heard the sound I could only describe as magic, and gold sparkles clogged my vision. I breathed in a small breath, and instantly the lids of my eyes grew heavy, and I was instantly plunged into the darkness of my own mind.

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	3. Familiar Faces

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for the follows and the couple of reviews! Glad to know this story is being noticed! Please please review, I'd love to know what you guys think!**

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"She sure doesn't look dangerous."

"Perhaps you have the wrong one?"

"That ain't the wrong one, mate."

"Shh, I think she's waking up."

"Prepare yourselves."

_Prepare yourselves, indeed. _I thought viciously in silent response. I was lying on hard, flat ground, which felt cold through my clingy pixie dress. My bare legs were numb with the cold as were my arms, hands and fingers. I was blissfully aware of the continuous gale blowing around me, a beckoning sound carried with it that sparked the inner me who longed to fly. But then reality set in, and I knew I'd be doing no flying today. I tensed my body, clenching my numb hands into fists at my sides. I heard one of the kidnappers mutter something in a worried tone, but I was in no mood to listen. My eyes shot open, and I bolted up.

"Oh, no you don't!" came a thick, Russian accent, and as my feet left the ground in a pounce, a ridiculously strong arm appeared in front of my face. I fell back to the ground, but wasted no time in trying again, this time taking another direction. I knew what I was acting out on; panic. I was unable to get any of the offenders in focus, all just a burst of blurry colours. They surrounded me in a tight circle, and I landed back in the centre too many times to count. It not for the shield, I'm pretty sure my face would have been badly damaged during the struggle.

"Give up yet?" came that low, chilling voice, which I instantly recognised as the voice of Jack Frost. Through my disorientated state, I turned in the direction where blue was most prominent, a solid icy colour right in front of me.

"I think you know the answer to that, Frosty." I spat.

"Watch out!" one of them cried, but I already had him pinned to the ground, drawing back my fist to plough into his face. He strained for his staff which I had knocked out of his grasp, but apparently I was stronger than I looked. I pinned his outstretched arm down, and then went for the blow to the face.

Someone grabbed me from behind, strong arms wrapping around my waist and yanking me back. I thrashed in fury, but in the same moment I went sailing through the air and slid across the ground. I went to get up, and then I was surrounded by a deathly chill. I let my eyes focus, standing still for a moment, and then I realised. I was in an icy dome! Trembling with both rage and the cold, I watched the five beings step towards me on the other side of the dome, their figures slightly disfigured through the layer of ice. With one last attempt at resistance, I plunged my shoulder into the ice, only for a jolt of pain to blast through my body in return. I stepped back, exhausted, and I finally took in my captures.

In the middle, the one with stupidly big arms which I could see were covered in tattoos, was none other than North, or as you may know him, Santa Clause. He was exactly as I had remembered him; monstrously tall and round, his beard as white as snow and falling nicely over his chest. He still wore the red coat, his theme, along with his black bottoms and snow boots. A fresh flow of anger rippled through me, but instead I controlled it; my body was aching enough as it was.

I recognised the others, just from the stories I had heard over the years. Tooth, the cross between a hummingbird and a human, was hovering on North's right with a look of disgust, but beyond that I was pretty sure I could see fear. She was beautiful, I'd give her that. I imagined that the children who believed in the tooth fairy wouldn't imagine her as beautiful and peculiar as this. On North's left was the Sandman, a plump little man seemingly made from a gold powder. The controller of dreams. I remembered the dreams he had offered me as a child, the sensation of flying through the heavens and falling gracefully to the ground. I used to admire him, adore him, but now I only wanted to rip him to shreds for abusing his power on me.

The other two, Bunnymund and Frosty, stood side by side glaring at me, Frosty looking the most furious. I glared back, chewing on the inside of my cheek to control myself. I'd admit, Frosty was good looking, and I had heard that he was a charmer, but I refused to fall victim to his antics. He looked at me and I looked at him, ice meeting violet, and what was delivered was loathing.

"We didn't want to do this, Faye." North said, his voice slightly distant. "But as expected, you gave us no choice."

"Shut up, old man! You have no right to talk to me!" I screamed. He completely ignored me, acting as if he hadn't heard me and instead carried on talking.

"The Man in the Moon has come to us. The world is under threat, and we need help." He said.

I laughed harshly. "You want help from me? Ha! You're as mad as they say, time clearly hasn't been kind to you." I snapped. He simply glared at me, making me laugh again. "Turn that frown upside down, you're supposed to be jolly."

"Listen up, you little rat! We don't want you here, either, I hope you know!" the rabbit boomed, storming over and placing his nose against the ice, fogging it up as he did.

"Aren't you cute." I mocked, walking over and placing my plated forehead against the ice. I stared into his eyes, daring him to act, taunting him to break the ice my testing his temper. He vibrated, making me grin.

"Bunny!" North warned. The oversized animal backed away, never straying his eyes from mine. Tooth came hovering over to take his place, her stare a little less cold. Her eyes, a lighter shade than mine, reflecting her purity, bored into mine. She planted her feet on the ground, placing a hand on the ice.

"Please, Faye, we need your help." she said softly, her voice taking on a motherly tone. I stared at her, taken aback by the kindness of her voice, but I shook my head and glared at her. I wasn't going to fall into their trap, I wouldn't! I was wingless because of them, because of North, and I refused to help them after what they did to me!

"Tell it to someone who cares." I snarled. I backed away, watching the disappointment form of her face, and I stood in the centre of the dome. I crossed my arms with stubbornness, gracefully falling to the floor and crossing my legs also. North sighed, pinching his nose and turned away. Tooth and Bunnymund followed, the rabbit huffing out a "Well that was a waste of time!"

Frosty waited, watching the Sandman at his side, who was staring at me intently. I stared back with a blank expression. The two exchanged a look, and Sandman waved the boy off. He looked at the dome, presumably calculating if it was still strong, and then left, leaving the Sandman and my alone.

I looked around me in the room. Despite the dim light, it seemed cosy in here, and warm should the windows have been closed. Toys were scattered here and there, handmade and with an odd charm to each of them. My eyes fell of a toy just above the head of the dome, and my face fell. A fairy, only basic and made from wood, but even she looked happier than I had ever felt. Her glass eyes gleamed with promise, her butterfly wings spread out wide and showing off vibrant colours. My already still heart somehow felt as if it weighed a tonne, and it sank to the pit of my stomach. I closed my eyes for a moment, and then looked at the Sandman again.

His golden hand was on the other side of the ice, much like Tooth had done. His face, however, gave away nothing but pure solace. Above his head was what had my attention, though. A girl was somersaulting through the air, a golden blur. I instantly recognised it as myself, an enactment of the dreams he used to offer me as a human child. My eyes grew wide. He remembered me. No, he remembered my dreams. He was showing me this as a sign of compassion, I was sure. I pushed the memory of his power knocking me out earlier and simply watched my younger self enjoy the world of fantasy, unaware that she would soon have to wake up.

And I did wake up. I tore my eyes away from the image he offered me, met his gaze and then closed my eyes. I turned away from him, unfolding my legs and laying down on my side. I tucked myself into a ball for warmth, both saddened and frustrated with my weakness.

I waited a few minutes, hoping that he had taken the hint. I then turned, and I found myself alone. I sat up and rubbed my hands together, waiting for the warmth to kick in. When that didn't work, I cupped my hands over my mouth and blew. I wasn't used to the cold; after ten years of stillness, you forget what warmth and cold feels like. You could say I could just make a fireball, something I used to be able to do with little thought. I used to be able to do many things; create fire, water and wind, I used to be able to create images that weren't real, such as animals or objects. I used to be able to do anything for both my own enjoyment and others, but then that day happened, and I lost everything.

Without my wings, I wasn't strong enough to do anything. I was stripped down to just a mere girl, a dreamer. When I lost my powers, I lost hope, and when I lost hope, I lost faith in myself. Which begged the question; if what North had said was true, and that the Man in the Moon had called upon me, then why? I was useless. I couldn't do anything. With little thought, I turned in the direction of the moon, who looked down on me with emptiness. I had a staring contest with no one, for I had also lost faith in him.

I fell back on my side and tucked myself back into a ball, shivering as I closed my eyes. I relaxed my body, and after a while, I fell into a dreamless sleep on my own accord.

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I opened my eyes, feeling out of place. The moment they opened, I saw that I wasn't alone. Frosty was in front of me, divided by the ice. He was on his hunches hugging his staff, watching me with curiosity as his head was cocked to the side. I sat up slightly, blinking away the grogginess.

"What do you want?" I croaked.

"Trying to figure something out." he answered, and I detected nothing but truth. I laughed once.

"And what's that, may I ask?" I said.

"Why the Moon chose you." he said. I met his gaze, letting go of a lopsided grin that was anything but kind.

"You and me both, Frosty." I muttered, laying back down in the hopes of going back to sleep. "Personally, I think he's lost the plot." I added half heartedly. He let go of a low chuckle that was as empty as mine had been. I heard him shuffle as I got to his feet, and I peeked at him with half closed lids. "You disappoint me, Mr Frost." I murmured.

"Why?" he asked, frowning down at me.

"You don't appear to be the all great and mighty hellion everyone says you are in the other world." I said. He smirked.

"Looks can be deceptive." he told me, and in that smirk I caught a spark of his true nature. I smirked back, catching the deeper meaning to his words. Earlier, when I had pinned him down with a strength I thought had abandoned me long ago. He had been surprised, and my guess was that Jack Frost was hardly ever surprised.

My eyes followed him as he left, and he left the sound of a door closing in his wake. Once again I was alone, just how I wanted it to be.

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**Yes, no?**


	4. Wrong Foot

_****_**Thanks again for the favorites and follows and reviews, keep them coming and I'll keep updating! :D**

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_Faye... Faye... wake up... Faye. Come... home, child. Come back... to us... _

That voice, I knew that voice all too well. It was so alluring, so soft and gentle but with every intention of getting what it wanted. My subconscious wanted to find the owner of the voice, to wrap myself in that tenderness. I felt my body coil with longing, listening to the voice with ears straining to locate its location.

_That's it... listen to... my voice. Come home... find us..._

No. I wouldn't cave in. I was weak enough as it was! I pulled myself away from his beckoning, his softness, and it took every ounce of my strength in order to do so. My head then felt like it was exploding as he began to scream in anger. I ignored him, pulling myself further away, unlocking myself from his grasp. He gave one last bellow of my name, and then he was gone.

Something was assaulting my nostrils. It was sweet, making my mouth water and my stomach churn with hunger. I groggily opened my eyes, sitting up and yawning loudly. My side was stiff with being on the hard ground for so long, and with a slight pain I stretched my body. Looking around, I saw that I was still trapped in Frosty's dome, and the harsh reality set in once again. Getting to my feet I decided I needed to stretch my legs, for my knees felt as if they hadn't been stretched for years rather than hours. It was then that I found North.

He was watching me with his wise eyes, and I couldn't help but lick my lips at the plate of cookies in his hand. They were still warm, the steam rising and vanishing in the air. How I could smell it was beyond me... maybe the ice was thinner than I thought. Or perhaps there was a weak spot. I looked around, hoping to find said weak spot, only to find a second plate of steaming cookies instead. There was three of them, looking oh so divine my stomach screamed.

In the underworld, the only food we could eat was the decaying apples, and what with us being immortal, they never did us harm. They just tasted revolting. I never ate until I couldn't take any more of the hunger, so to see something so sweet and warm before me was something of insanity. I looked back at North.

"Go on." he urged, smiling. Slowly I crouched before the plate, picking up a warm cookie and turning it back and forth. Chocolate chip! I took a nibble, and I wanted to cry. So sweet and crumbly! Just that tiny bite was enough to spark memories long forgotten, back when my mother would make cookies at Christmas time. I remembered her hands gently taking the tray from the fire, the cookies steaming hot and just begging to be eaten. She'd let me do the chocolate chips, and then we would eat them together by the fire and save some for our fellow village residents.

"You eat like an animal." an Australian accent said, and I looked back to see Bunnymund join North. I glared at him, picking up the plate and tipping the crumbs into my mouth.

"Says the oversized rodent." I said. He stared at me for a moment, and then mutter something to North. I believe he said "Better than being called a kangaroo." which made no sense to me.

When the plate was licked clean, I placed it back on the ground and pushed it away from me. I clenched my stomach, still hungry, but I also felt that my stomach was trying to calculate what kind of food I had just devoured. After a moment, it settled, and it released another demanding sound of hunger.

"More?" North asked. I looked back over my shoulder at him, questioning his motives.

"Trying to win me over with sweet cookies? Nice try, beard face." I said. He simply rolled his eyes. I watched as he stepped forward, stretching the plate out towards the dome. My eyes went wide as I watched his arm pass straight through the ice, as if it weren't there. He placed the plate on the ground and then removed his hand. Without even thinking, I lunged towards him, flinging myself into the wall of the dome. I simply let out a grunt of pain and flopped to the floor, earning a chuckle from the rabbit. I moaned, shaking my head clear of my disorientation. What the...?

"Jack made it transparent only to us. You, my young friend, are still stuck." North told me, chuckling along with the rabbit.

"You'll have to let me go some time." I said angrily, stumbling to my feet.

"And you will have to learn your place, outsider." Bunnymund growled. Outsider? _Outsider? _How dare he! How could he not understand? How could he not know the pain of being referred to as an outsider? That classification alone gave me a feeling of never being able to belong! And then being stuck in here, locked away as if I were a wild animal, treating me like something that was evil and dangerous! Yes, I was no saint, but neither were they! I wouldn't be the way I am if not for them, if not for North! Without my wings I was nothing, and the classification of being nothing was all the more dehumanizing!

I backed away, away from them and away from North's gift, refusing to give myself in to them. I felt my shield and dress turn to a colour blacker than the night sky, and I watched as Bunnymund swallowed with uneasiness.

"What's going on?" a female voice said, and in came Tooth, landing on North's other side. "Where's Jack?"

"Jack's gone to see Jamie." North said. "And I advise that you, Bunny, don't use that term again."

"Agreed." the rabbit said. He met my gaze and then left with his tail between his legs. Upon his retreat I relaxed slightly, letting out a puff of air. My colour turned back to its usual cool grey. I dropped to the floor, staring longingly at the cookies but refusing to give in. Instead, I looked at the two remaining guardians.

"Who's Jamie? Another guardian?" I asked, generally interested.

"Oh no, Jamie is Jack's human friend. Just a little boy, an adorable little thing." Tooth said with genuine tenderness and adoration. "His sister, too."

"Jamie is a famous name to us, Faye. His belief in us is stronger than anything we had ever encountered, and he ultimately saved our lives." North said, and I could hear the pride in his voice.

"From who?"

"Pitch Black." Tooth answered, ultimately shivering at the mention of that name. I knew that name, everyone in the underworld did. The Boogeyman, in other words, the bringer of nightmares. He was the kind of spirit who mothers would warn their children of, telling them that if they didn't behave, Pitch Black would get them. I'd heard of his defeat, destroyed by his own nightmares, but he still remained a legend to the residents of the underworld for nearly overpowering the guardians. But he was nothing compared to the stalker in my dreams, the Shifter. Now he was something else, and I wasn't sure if the guardians knew. And, ultimately, I wasn't going to tell them. Call me petty, but they hadn't given me an easy way in life. Even though I deserved what I got, throwing me into a world of darkness with next to know power from hardly fair. I was in no mood to play fair.

"Now," began North, crouching on the other side of the dome. "I know we got off to a bad start, but let's start again."

"We have more history than that, old man, and you know it." I said quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then brushed my comment aside.

"Tell me. How did you lose your wings?" he said, cocking his head.

"Why, the big shot Man in the Moon dissolved them, of course." I said, my voice spitefully cheery. "Punishment for my wrong doings, along with many other punishments from a certain few."

Tooth sighed. "Life truly hasn't been kind to you, has it?"

"You think?" I glared at them both. "I've been stripped of my wings for over ten years, and along with it my powers. I'm nothing more than a pointless immortal, hence why I think you have the wrong recruit for a guardian."

"The Moon is always right." North said stubbornly.

"Maybe you should learn to follow your own judgement. Tell me, if he were to say I was the wrong one, would you throw be back into the underworld without so much as a blink?" he didn't answer, but that answered my question nonetheless. "That's what I thought, so excuse me for being... uncooperative."

"You never used to be so angry." Tooth said. I snapped my gaze to her.

"What would you know?" I snapped. All of a sudden, she drifted through the ice and joined me in the dome, sitting a foot away from me. Dumbstruck and jealous, I was too dazed to jerk when her fingers lowered my jaw, exposing my teeth. She smiled, just as I came to my senses and jerked my head away.

"Teeth are amazing things, Faye. Excuse me for being rude, but when I learned that you would be joining us, I just had to look into your memories. How else do you think North knew to make you chocolate chip cookies?" she explained, smiling warmly.

"You had no right to look into my memories!" I yelled, pushing myself up against the ice in order to get away from her. How could she? My memories were _mine, _no one else's! They belong to _me_!

"I had to understand who we were dealing with. We knew you'd be... damaged, but we just want to help. Whether you like it or not, you're a guardian, and we need you." she said, looking at me hopelessly. I clenched my hands into fists, trying to control my anger.

"If I were a guardian, the why was I in the underworld for ten years? Aren't guardians supposed to be the symbols of positive labels to children? I am not something positive! Like you said, I'm _damaged! _And it's all because of _you!" _I lunged for her then, but she effortlessly exited the dome an expression of hurt. And then, blinded by a fit of rage, I began to pound furiously on the ice.

It might have been minutes, it might have been hours, but when I finally came to, Tooth and North were gone. I sat with my legs crossed, my head bowed and my arms hugging my stomach. I wanted to get out, I needed freedom. But even if I could get out of here, where would I go? I couldn't go back to the underworld, but I couldn't stay here. I didn't belong here. I didn't belong _anywhere. _I had no purpose and no strength. What was I supposed to do? Once again, I looked up at the moon through the roof, wondering if he could understand my pain. He probably could. He was probably feasting on my confusion and anger, for that was all I had felt from the moment he took away my wings. I knew I had done wrong, but I began to question myself. Did I really deserve this? To be trapped with the enemy, to have them invade in my memories and tell me who I was and what I was supposed to do? Was that fair?

"You're cruel." I whispered. I gust of wind attacked the outside of the dome, creating a wailing sound. A sign of disagreement? That made me smirk. If so, he was obviously blind as well as mad.

"Hey there, Pixie!" came a cheery voice. I looked directly above, spotting Frosty looking down on me through the dome. "How's life?"

"Just peachy, thanks for asked." I said sarcastically. He chuckled, sliding to the ground and walking through the ice. He walked straight towards me, backing me against the far wall. I slammed my hands into his chest, making him back up a step.

"Back off." I spat.

"I've been speaking to the others. I think you need to get out of here for a while, don't you think?" he told me, instantly confusing me.

"Why?" I asked.

"This situation between you and us, it needs to be looked at from both angles. You don't trust us, and we don't trust you. So, fancy having a bonding session?"

"Not really." I stared at him, trying to find some sort of mockery. Was he trying to tease me? Was he relishing the fact that he was free and I wasn't, trying to give me false hope? I made it perfectly clear I didn't like his idea of action to our current situations, folding my arms and planting myself on the ground once again. He rolled his eyes.

"That'd the wrong answer, I'm afraid. Now get up." he snagged my wrist, making me shout in protest.

"Let go!" he didn't. Instead, he pulled he off the ground as he hovered into the air, staff in hand and held out in front of him. He yanked me up harshly, setting my feet on the thin stick. I felt myself stick to it, the frost he created pinning me there. He hopped on behind me, clinging on with both hands as he grinned at me.

"I'd hold on if I were you." seeing that he was being serious, I did so, clutching the staff with both hands and letting the frost freeze me in place. If my heart were beating, it would be hammering like a tennis ball right about now! I thought my throat was blocked with nausea, and all I could do was close my eyes and hope that I didn't suffer too much.

A moment later, I felt the shattering of ice, a blast of cold air, and then the sensation of flight along with Frosty's shout of exhilaration breaking the air.

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	5. Which Path?

**A bit of a late upload I know, but I've been swamped with homework and shiz, and also suffering with my top brace which had just been fitted today :/ Oh the joys of life! So I've only just managed to have time to write this, while I'm in the mood. Hope you enjoy, and thank you guys who are reviewing and giving such kind words, means a lot :)**

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Jack didn't like it. In fact, he hated it. This girl in front of him, this creature who should never be trusted, should not have been on his staff, flying with his wind, and feeling a sense of belonging that she should never have to the right to feel anymore. She was a betrayer, a dark entity that no one should have the pleasure of cruising with, especially not children. But North would not stand for Jack's protests. The old man was sticking to his guns about what the Moon had to say, and now they needed to earn the girl's trust.

Jack was great at acting. He could easily pretend that he wanted nothing more than to be the friend of this fairy, to give her his hand of guidance and bow his head with respect. But he felt nothing but hate. The thought of her small, delicate hands so much as touching Jamie made his skin crawl, and he hoped that she would never even have the joy of landing her eyes on him. With any luck, she would prove herself unworthy, and thus they would be free of her dark shadow once and for all. But for now, he needed to stay in character, and thus deceive her in the process. If she was disappointed in him, then he was sure as hell about to prove her wrong. With one lie after another.

He smirked at how she clung to his staff for dear life, the pair plunging through the air at speeds no human would ever be able to stand. If she were to fall, she would plunge to the icy depths of the Arctic sea. It would not kill her, but she would suffer all the same. But why was she here with him in the air? Because her biggest dream was to fly once again. Sandy had given the pleasure of uncovering her deepest desire, and therefore they could use it to their advantage. He could see that that was a good move. As the seconds ticked by, she loosening up, and he could practically feel the grin that was no doubt of her face.

Fun time was over.

He stood on the staff while darting through the clouds, not so much as flinching in the process. She didn't notice him, making him grin devilishly. Faster than a blink, he jumped and then slammed his feet down on the staff, flinging the fairy off in the process. He fell for just a moment, but Faye continued to fall. And boy did that girl scream! A sound sharper than ice, breaking through the wind and alerting every living thing within ten miles. She fell head first towards the water, and Jack merely laughed.

"Hold on, pixie, I gotcha!" he bellowed, and then dived after her, breaking her plummeting speed with little effort at all. He flew straight beneath her, straightening his staff as he stood. He held out his arms, effortlessly catching her as she was mid somersault. She grabbed for him, and for a moment he thought she was attacking him, but then he realised she was generally frightened and was clinging to him for safety. He was taken aback slightly by her big eyes, watching him with a look of both terror and confusion. Naturally, that was quickly replaced by rage, flecks in her violet orbs gradually turning darker. He blinked, losing himself in her eyes, and for just a second he questions his actions. That, too, was quickly replaced with dark humour.

"Why! Why would you do that?" she shrieked. "Did you think that I would miraculously grow my wings back and fly myself to safety?"

"Calm down, pixie, I wasn't going to let you get hurt." _Regrettably. _He set her feet down on his staff, steadying her as he allowed the frost to freeze her back into place. The wind swirled around them, demanding to be rode once more, but Jack merely met her cold violet stare with his own icy pools.

"If you think _that _is a way of earning my trust, then think again!" she spat, shoving her face in his with utter rage. He broke out into a cocky grin.

"I caught you, didn't I?"

"That's not the point!"

"Oh shut up and enjoy the ride. Wind, take us wherever you feel fit!" he bellowed, and they took off once again. Faye gasped, crouching and clutching his staff yet again, but Jack knew there was no need. As much as he wanted to, he wasn't going to do it again. He was just going to follow North's orders and take her for a ride, stretch her legs if you will. The only thing he could do was close his eyes and pretend she wasn't there.

He hoped he didn't have to make a habit of this.

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After that little _stunt, _I was unable to get my stomach out of my throat, my breathing uncontrollable for the rest of the flight. I had lost the exhilaration of feeling weightless and free, instead feeling trapped with a boy who no doubt thought he could do whatever he pleased. I was no stranger to his dislike to me, the feeling was mutual, but was there any need for _that? _Falling like that made me feel all the more useless and _fragile. _But of course he knew that, I could read him as easily as the back of my hand. He thought he had me fooled, for after his look of loathing upon my arrival, there was no way he could have had a change of heart in such a small period of time.

The wind grew gentle all of a sudden, and then we were drifting. North's home was in view, and I relaxed slightly to get a better look. I peeked around Frosty's leg behind me, generally admiring the view. Everything was so _white! _It almost hurt my eyes to see such brightness, after being surrounded by such darkness for so long. Where I came from, there was no sunlight, no breath of cold air, and certainly no beauty such as this. I could have easily had myself believe that this was all a cruel dream. An image of Mia came to my mind, who was back there, in the darkness and now alone for good. I could have been angry at her for abandoning me the way she had upon my kidnap, but then again, who was I to judge? She owed me nothing. Instead I felt guilty, another burden to add on my shoulders, and I could even argue this time that it wasn't my fault.

"Okay, home time." said Frosty. I looked up at him, annoyed how he looked down on me as if he were so superior.

"You're going to stuff be back in the dome?" I demanded coldly.

"If you're a good little fairy, maybe old man Clause will give you a tour of his palace." he said, and then added, "But I wouldn't count on it."

"I thought you guardians were supposed to be, you know, good and pure, not bullies." I muttered, grasping the staff tightly as we made a decent towards the palace of the North Pole.

"It's not every day that we have a calling for a symbol of exile, I'll have you know." he said, kneeling down to speak in my ear, which was hidden behind the metal plating around my face. I flinched away, tempted to head butt him.

"Thanks ever so much for the reminder."

We entered the way we had left. The dome that he had previously created was no more that melting pieces of ice, so in a flash he tossed me to the ground and built a new one. I made no response, simply allowed the ice to encircle me and cast a cool breeze over my skin. The only response I offered was an involuntary shiver.

"Later, pixie." he said, tapping the curve of his staff against the ice. I sighed and ignored him.

"Any problems?" North said, passing Frosty as he entered the room. I looked up, glaring. Frosty looked back at me and grinned before responding to his fellow guardian's question.

"We had a little fun." was all he said, and then left. North shook his head, far from amused. He looked at me with soft eyes, cocking his head and offering an expression of sheepishness.

"Sorry. He still can't wrap his head around our situation." He told me. I looked down at the floor. "You have to understand. Jack has had a rough ride, too. He went three hundred years without being believed in, and with Jamie being the first child to ever see him, he has taken his job exceptionally seriously."

I pondered over this, and I was hit with a realisation. "He thinks I'll hurt him." I whispered.

"Yes. His greatest fear is not being there when Jamie needs him the most. He fears that you will turn on us and attack those dearest to us." he said, backing up my statement. Somehow, I felt insulted, even though I had no right to be.

I met his gaze once more. "You have given me plenty of reason up to press to do just that." I said. He stood inches from the barrier of ice between us, looking down on me very much like Frosty had, only his expression was that of a puppy rather than a fox.

"I hope that one day, you can forgive me the way I will forgive you. I understand that I must prove myself to you just as much as you must to us. It's a lot to ask, but think it over. Do you really want to be classed as evil for the rest of eternity, or do you want to do good and protect the innocents of the world?"

He left then, allowing me to mull it over in peace. The honest answer to that question? I had no idea. I didn't know who I was or who I wanted to be. I didn't know my destiny, my meaning. I couldn't understand myself. After everything I had been through, both in my human life and my supernatural life, I had never really been given the light to follow. I had always been left to fend for myself, with the odd help here and there. And look where that had got me?

Sometimes I thought that the easiest past was to give in to Shifter. If I had power as strong as him, and if I really was as powerful as he claimed, then I could do anything. I could be free and great. I could get my revenge on all those who had done me wrong, including the guardians, perhaps even the Moon. I could be so much more than this, and yet that was just temptation. It wasn't a need, at least not yet. Following that path would be when I had lost all hope in everything about me, and even though I had lost faith in myself, something still continued to help me resist the shadows of my inner being. Something inside me was still fighting strong, and I knew there was a reason. It was just figuring it out.

Who, or what, was I living for? What did I need to do in order to make things right again? I had done so many bad things, both to myself and other people around me. I was no saint as a human, which added only more questions. I had no right to be alive. When I fell from that bridge, I should have disappeared. But for whatever reason, the Man in the Moon saved me and turned me into something of beauty and power. Was it to make me suffer for what I had done? Probably. Selfishness only brought karma, I knew that now. Carrying on that selfishness along with fear into the afterlife was hardly going to get me any pointers.

But I'd been around for over a hundred years, and yet here I was, still undecided and confused. What did he want me to do? Who did he want me to be?

How was I supposed to live?

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	6. Bizarre Family

**Chapter 6! Thanks again guys for reading and reviewing, means a lot! It's what motivates me to carry on! :D And as for Faye, her background will slowly be unraveled throughout, just be patient ;) She wouldn't be a mystery if I gave her all away this early!**

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Days past, and I began to find myself in a trapped routine. I would be able to munch on snacks throughout each passing day, from cookies to candy canes to smoked marsh mellows, and in all honesty I wasn't going to complain. North would allow me to have one hour out of the ice dome, letting me wonder around his office to stretch my legs as he rambled on about stories lost in history. His stories were fairly entertaining, like a grandfather telling the stories of his life to his granddaughter. I could tell that he was truly trying to make amends, and it was almost respectable. He often waited to see if I would offer any stories of my own once he was finished, but by that time I had already let myself back into the dome, just in time for Frosty to place the one sided shield.

According to Sandy, I was having bad dreams. This bemused me. Apart from that first morning, where I woke up to Shifter's beckoning in the back of my mind, I had no acknowledgment of having nightmares. However, it did seem logical for me to have them, so I assumed that some part of me was able to wipe them from my memory once I woke up. But now I often woke up to Sandy, sitting on the other side of the ice with a smile of his face. I knew he was playing with my dreams, for I always woke up somehow content. One morning, I even found myself glowing a soft turquoise, a reflection of my relaxed state. Sandy had been clapping his hands, mutely laughing with joy, too happy to noticed my tone darken once more as I turned my back on him.

They would take turns in guarding me during my imprisonment. Bunnymund was the most reluctant, refusing to talk to me. I could only smirk at him constantly; I couldn't deny the enjoyment I got out of crawling under his skin. He'd throw an insult here and there, adding 'bloody' in said insult, which only made me laugh more. I had the nickname 'Big Ears' for him, much to his annoyance. He said I was worse than Frosty, but really, what did he expect?

Tooth was much kinder towards me, almost as kind as North. I could never make my mind up if it was an act or not. For a motherly creature in touch with her emotions, she was surprisingly blank to me. I couldn't figure her out. She often spoke about my kind of fairy, known as the 'Coloured Angels', apparently. She went on to explain her delight in the different colours we reflected, saying that there was nothing more beautiful than seeing them flying through the sky in vibrant streaks. Apparently, we were hard to come by. We liked to stay low, keeping away from humanity and living in harmony with one another. So whenever she saw one of us fly above her head, she would make a wish, much like a human would towards a shooting star. She complained a lot, telling me that she wished I'd expose my inner colours. She clearly hated seeing me so dull, but I exposed myself more than she knew.

As of late, I was more of a chocolate brown than black, constantly lost in my thoughts.

Frosty spent little time guarding me after the flight incident. He was often away in a town I believed was called Burgess, hanging out with that child Jamie. I often wondered about him. What was so special about this kid? From what I could tell, he was the only one who had reached Frosty's heart, and although I had yet to see it, I was sure that the guardian would do anything in return for the boy's life. That theory alone sparked my curiosity's appetite, but I didn't dwell on it too much. Neither meant anything to me, especially Jamie. I didn't even have a face to a name. It was just that revelation that perhaps Frosty wasn't all ice.

I had a clear picture on these guardians. North was the wise old grandfather, Tooth was the caring mother, Sandy was the quiet cousin that no one really understood in the family, Bunnymund was easily the grumpy uncle, and Jack Frost was the over confident son/grandson/brother. I knew that not every 'family' was perfect, but this bunch of spirits were just a bizarre combination. They were all so different, no doubt all occupying different backgrounds far beyond my imagination. Mulling this over, I could somehow understand why I was possibly a part of their group, equally different as each of themselves. I saw them as a family; the way they argued, the way they went about their banter, and the way they shared knowing looks they thought I missed. Despite myself and my situation, I found them fascinating, giving me a guilty pleasure as I watched and understood them. What appealed to me even more was that I in turn gave nothing away.

Tooth was perhaps bolder than I have her credit for. Being the guardian of memories, it was naturally going to be her job to try and snoop into the memories she had no access to. I opened up to her as much as a cat opened up to a dog, but she managed to control her frustration. If I wanted to keep the gate closed to my memories, even to myself, then she'd have to deal with it. But it made me wonder... how had _she _become a guardian? What with her motherly nature, had she been exactly that as a human? The same went for the others. Had Sandy been mute in his previous life? And what was the deal with Big Ears? But I didn't question it. They'd probably answer my questions, but I felt as if I shouldn't really even want to know.

Today was like any other day. I was sitting on North's desk, listening to him speak fondly of why Christmas Day was his favourite day. He was saying how he adored watching the children open their gifts, and it sparked something of interest to me.

"How do you watch them?" I asked. "I mean, it'd be pretty weird peeking through their windows."

He chuckled, his body rumbling with humour. "You can do wonders with a snow globe." He said, and I cocked my head. He chuckled some more, and then pulled out a large globe from inside of his winter coat, walking over to me and leaning on the desk beside me. My eyes were transfixed on the ball, at the moment doing no more that showing snow. But there was something about it that radiated with power and beauty, and all I wanted to do was reach out and rest my palm against the glass. He shook it once, and suddenly I was looked at an image.

It showed Frosty, flying away from a group of kids chasing after him, laughing and egging them on. They were throwing snowballs at him, the town freshly coated in the white stuff, no doubt due to the guardian. I watched in awe at he flew this way and that, spinning to dodge their attacks, working so effortlessly and fluently I envied him and his speed. I had never seen him look so happy, and I drew my eyes away.

"Did you watch over us? I mean, the spirits in exile?" I asked quietly. He was quiet for a moment, and then I saw him bob his head from the corner of my eye. "How often?"

"Not very much. You... _they _never really crossed our minds until now." He said gruffly. I gritted my teeth, but tried to not let it affect me. Of course he didn't. We didn't mean anything to them, we were just dirt under their shoe, a dark inconvenience.

"And why now? What made you focus on that world now?" I said harshly, catching his eyes. He stared at me for a while, trying to read me, no doubt.

"Dark things are coming, darker than you could ever imagine." he whispered.

"You're talking to a survivor of that world. I can imagine everything that you are saying, more than you'll ever know." I said. "Remember who you are talking to."

After a while he left the room for a moment. He said he would be right back, no more than five minutes. I watched him leave, hearing the click of the door as he locked it behind him. Bad move. You see, the thing is, he forgot to pick up his snow globe, which was now in my grasp and I gazed at it in fascination.

Frosty and the kids were not being shown before me, just a mess of where they had been. The trails of sledges lingered in the snow, millions of footprints mingling together and making it impossible to define individual pairs. The sun was going down, the street lamps were flickering to life, and it somehow looked peaceful. I watched the thousands of mini snowflakes fall to the ground in a graceful dance, creating a scene of beauty and wonder. I cocked my head, stroking the glass.

Humans really didn't see the beauty they were surrounded by. It was sad, really. They couldn't understand the privilege it was for them to have blood pumping through their bodies, to have their hearts beating so strongly it gave hope. To be alive was a gift that no one could replace, and to watch on the sidelines in an empty shell was nothing but painful. I longed to be alive almost as much as I longed to fly, just to feel the sensation of warmth beneath my skin. What I would give to feel my heart flutter in my chest, to be able to say that I indeed did have a pulse. Dying is easy, but waking up in a still body was agonizing, even if you could sour to the heavens for ninety odd years.

I hadn't realised that I was losing my grip on the globe, for it slid through my fingers and landed on the ground with a thud. I waited for a smash, followed by a furious North, but nothing happened for a moment. I watched in awe as it rolled across the room, halting just before the door. I didn't know what I was waiting for, but I was on my feet and walking over, panting with excitement.

Seconds past, and then it happened.

The ball vanished, and in its place was a bright light. Beyond it, I could see a larger image of the town I had been looking at, coming in and out of focus as the light shimmered before it. It was exactly the same as what I had seen Frosty and Big Ears appear through in the otherworld, and I knew there and then that my freedom awaited me. A grin broke across my face, and I felt myself glow a vibrant purple. I looked at the door, seeing that North wasn't trying to enter. I took a step forward, hesitating.

I could see that it was slowly closing again, and I couldn't waste time on being a coward. Turning back to my usual colour, and took another step, my heart in my throat. _Jump... jump! _Suddenly, I heard the entering of a key in the door, and this time I had no time at all to mull over my decision. If he caught me, he would never release me again! So I did what any other planning runaway would think of doing.

I took a deep breath, and I plunged myself through the light.

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	7. Trick Of The Mind

**Sorry it's a day late guys! I was doing some homework and serious Christmas shopping last night, and on top of that trying to entertain a friend on Skype... it was brutal! So here's number seven! Enjoy, and sorry again!**

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_I blinked against light that seemed bright that the sun. It burned my eyes and body, swallowing me whole into luminosity. I stood, squinting as I tried to determine what domain I found myself in. Slowly, the light died away, and before me I was faced with the Moon. He stared down at me fondly, but I could feel his doubt. I stared up at him, watching him with fear and curiosity. I didn't know how I knew he was able to see me, and possibly my future, but I could only stare and question his concern that radiated from his brightness. _

_He whispered my name, letting it drift towards me while riding the breeze, and I answered with a gentle "Yes?" He continued to observe me, and it was then that I felt different. I felt... weightless. I stretched my arms out in front of me, my eyes widening. My skin, once an olive colour, was now pale and smooth, looking very much like the arms of a doll. They were thinner too, more delicate. I turned my hands, much smaller than they should have been, and somehow beautiful as far as hands went. _

_And then I noticed the glow of my dress, flickering a soft yellow. There was only one thing. It clung to every curve, to every bend and dip of my body, the skirt tattered as it kissed above my knees. The skirt was just that, a skirt, but above the waist the dress morphed into my skin. It was a _part _of me! _

_But then I realised there was a different kind of fabric that wrapped around my chest, shoulders and neck. Again, this had morphed to be a part of my skin, frightening me beyond measure. I buried my hands in the feathery fur, trying to tear it off but only hurt myself in the process. It was like trying to yank my hair from my scalp! The only way I could describe it was that it looked like that of a lion's mane, only it circled my neck over my chest rather than my head. _

_My head. I felt no hair falling from my head over my shoulders like it should have. My hands went to the back of my neck, and I let out a gasp when they met the sharp point of metal at the point where my neck met my spine. My fingers continued up, the metal prickling me, the spikes presumably for my own protection. My fingers continued up and over my head, down my forehead to the top of my nose where the metal ended at another point. It was spread all over, spikes gently poking into my cheeks, blocking my line of vision from left and right. _

_I yelped when I realised I was glowing yet another colour, this time a borderline between grey and white. I looked up at the Moon again, this time with somewhat desperation. _

_"What's happened to me!" I screamed. I thought I heard a sigh drift in the breeze. And then he told me, as gently as he could but with every intention of hitting me hard. _

_He told me I was dead, and then another blast of moonlight hit me. _

I fell into a pile of snow with a cry of pain, shivering at the same time. Frightened and shaken, I stood and brushed myself of the snow, ignore my constantly changing colours to match my undecided emotions. Blue, black, red, even white. I knew what the white was for. I was _free! _I was so bewildered by that revelation, I couldn't _help _but glow with delight for just a moment. I was free from the otherworld, I was free from the guardians... it was just me and the world! I glanced up at the Moon beyond the buildings of the town I had landed in, and I couldn't help but smirk with triumph.

I wasn't worried about being seen. After all, no one believed in me. How could human's, adult or children, be able to believe in something they don't know exists? I didn't have a problem with it. I didn't know what it was like to be believed in and looked up to, so I couldn't miss something I had never experienced.

I looked down, and there in the snow I saw the snow globe. I picked it up from the snow shaking it in the hopes that the image would change. I thought of North back in his office, who had just missed me by mere seconds. Slowly, the image did indeed change, and before me I was looking at a miniature image of the guardians arguing. I laughed, delighted, and again I began to glow a bright white. Frosty appeared to be screamed at an equally infuriated North, pointing at nothing and jabbing his staff into the old man's chest. Big Ears was yanking on his ears with frustration, Tooth was circling the room in what appeared to be panic, and Sandy was simply watching it all happening. I laughed again, unable to contain my enjoyment at seeing them so distressed.

"Santa Clause." I yelped, spinning and trying to spot the voice that interrupted my moment of mindless escape. I looked ahead, and then dropped my chin slightly to look down. There stood a little girl with blonde hair, no older than three, and she had her eyes transfixed on the globe in my hands. She pointed at it with a forceful jab of her finger. "That's Santa's!" she said.

"It's mine now." I snarled. Okay, perhaps _she _could see me, but then again little girls with poor memories had no real belief in anything, so therefore saw _everything. _She ran at me, jumping as she tried to make a grab for the globe in my hands. I jumped away from her, started by her determination.

"Sophie! Come back here, _now!" _bellowed someone down the street. A woman, no doubt the girl's mother. Now, there was no way _she _could see me. The child looked between me and the woman, who was standing at a gate down the road, wearing slippers and a dressing gown. The girl then turned back to me.

"Santa's!" she shrieked.

"_Sophie!" _and then she took off in the direction of her mother's frustration, bursting into tears as she did.

I rolled by eyes and strolled away. I had more important things to be worrying about, not some little girl who landed all of her faith in the man that gave her presents once a year. Instead I shook the globe again, thinking of a much darker place than 'Santa's Grotto'. Walking to no real location, just walking in the middle of the empty, snow covered road, I let the image unfold.

It showed me Mia. She was lying at the base of a tree, sobbing uncontrollably. To my horror, she was radiating no colour, simply portraying pitch black much like I used to. But there was something worse. Her wings... they were gone! Upon this revelation my eyes threatened to pop out of my head, my already heavy heart plunging down into my stomach. I stroked the glass, somehow hoping I could send her my touch without going back.

I couldn't go back. They'd eat me alive. They were smart, and they no doubt had an idea as to what the guardians' goal had been. If they had the slightest suspicion that I was a guardian, then I was dead. Literally. And Shifter, I refused to face him. He had discovered how to reach out to be beyond the realm, and that alone was unnerving. He was stronger than me, than _anyone, _and I wasn't prepared to go against him in a fight for acceptance.

As if on cue, a smoky figure appeared in my view of the globe, stalking towards Mia who cringed with detest. The shape was that of a black fox, a cunning trickster. My grip on the globe tightened, a fire of fury lighting up inside me. Mia wasn't perfect, no, but the mere thought of his tracing his merciless claws on any part of her body sent me into a silent rage. I watched her let out a silent whimper as she jumped to her feet, backing away from the fox. A twisted grin took form of the fox's mouth, both human and otherworldly, and I shivered.

_I feel you... Faye. You're watching... us. Clever... little mite... you are. _His voice was in my head, and instantly I blackened with terror. _I... really think... you should come... back. Little... Mia here... is useless... without her... precious Faye._

"Get away from her!" I yelled out loud, watching the fox's advance. Black laughter filled my head, unsettling me further, so much so that the globe fell from my fingers. I sank to the ground with it, trying to reach for it again, but my fingers were too numb to get a grip. I was just able to catch a glimpse of the fox backing away from a tormented Mia, who was now desperately trying to climb the dead tree in a haste of escape. He disappeared into the outskirts of the image, and Mia continued to cry with grief.

I couldn't go back. I couldn't! I'd be torn to shreds, what with no wings and no powers. I forced myself to calm down, to think rationally. Perhaps it was a mind trick! Shifter was capable for that, as was every fairy like myself, only with the said power. I must have had my guard down, I must have not been focussed... I must have been weak! I never allowed him to do that, even when he was at his most threatening. But all this freedom, all this new scenery, must have thrown me off focus. A mind trick, it had to be.

Forcing myself to grab the globe, I shook it ferociously, demanding an image far from what I had just seen. I cleared my mind of anything dark and foreign, staring intently at the globe. _Come on, come on! _

There! Mia was there, only she was different. She looked saddened and reflected a cool grey, sitting on the branch of a tree looking into the distance. I could imagine her longing for escape. But there, poking just into view were her stunning wings, and despite their lack of colour, I was overjoyed to see them. She was safe. She was still able to fly, and she was still strong.

_Clever... girl. _he whispered, and his voice was no longer confident. Angered was a better emotion. I grinned, sighing with relief, before I effectively pushed him out for good. I locked the door in my head, hoping against hope that that would be all I would hear from him.

But where was I ever that lucky?

Over the next few hours, I took shelter in the shrubs of a human's garden. The sky was clear, doubling the chill to the air. I kept tabs on the guardians, who had now split up in order to try and find my whereabouts. North was on his slay, which I have to say looked pretty impressive, and searched the whole of the North Pole. Tooth searched her palace and anything related, Big Ear's searched his warren, and Sandy searched all over the countries of the world along with Frosty. I was taken aback by all of the colours thrown at me during the switch between each searching guardian, from a golden elegance to a green wonderland, down to the mere beauty of the lights of the world. I was as entertained and taken aback by these colours as a baby was with something sparkly.

By dawn in my time, Frosty had finally arrived at my hideout. I kept low, fixing my eyes on the globe as I watched his every move. I watched as he flew to a window of a house, gently pushing it open and jumping inside. A boy say wide awake in his bed, glaring at what looked to be a school uniform. His alarm clock was on the floor, the batteries discarded to the other side of the room. The moment he looked up at Frosty, his eyes widened with delight. He jumped up and down on his bed, exclaiming what I thought was "Snowball fight?". Frosty shook his head miserably. His naturally dark rimmed eyes were even darker with exhaustion, and he leaned on his staff for support. The boy's face fell upon seeing this, cocking his head to the side. He said something else, no doubt demanding what was wrong. Frosty perched himself on his dressing table, watching the boy with a certain curiosity of his own.

He was calculating whether the child would be able to take a story such as my own.

Somehow, I knew he could. That boy wasn't just any boy. It was the way Frosty looked at him, a fierce protection that should belong to that of a brother. That look alone gave away the boy's identity, and I even cocked my own head with a burning desire to understand _why_.

Jamie.

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	8. To Believe

**Chapter 8! Thank you so so much for reviewing and following, means so much! I wont update until Sunday now though, busy busy busy! But in this chapter you get a little glimpse into both Jack and Jamie's relationship and Faye's past. Enjoy!**

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Jack watched Jamie carefully, taking in his features that had slowly changed over the past year or so. His features were gradually becoming sharper, stronger, his eyes slowly losing that roundness, and with it, his spark. He was taller, too, now barely below Jack's shoulders at full height. Only twelve, and already he was turning into that of a teenage boy, readying to make his journey into becoming a man Jack had barely experienced himself. It saddened him to know that Jamie would grow up, that he would marry and have kids of his own, and perhaps even forget Jack and the guardians in the process. But Jack had already had this talk with North; every child, no matter how loyal, grows up.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked. He was on his bed with his legs crossed, watching Jack with the expectancy of a child on Christmas Day. His mind wondered to the rouge Faye, who was God knows where, and he knew that he had to at least warn Jamie of her. Jamie was stronger and brighter than he had been the previous year, if that were possible. Now that he knew he had the strength to destroy even the darkest of shadows, it was a wonder why he even thought that he needed Jack as his guardian. But Jack wasn't one to complain, he was just happy to _be _there.

"There's something you need to know." Jack said, watching his with added care. Jamie stared back, frowning at the seriousness in the older boy's face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Who do you believe in, Jamie?" Jack asked, cocking his head. The child laughed as if that was the stupidest question he had ever heard.

"You, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Santa, of course!" he beamed.

Jack shook his head. "I know _that, _kiddo, geez, what do you take me for? I mean, who do you believe in _other _than us?"

Jamie's face turned down in thought, letting his mind riddle through the question Jack had just asked. Jack watched him piece his question together, and briefly closed his eyes when Jamie released a soft "Oh." under his breath.

"You mean... _bad _things." he whispered. He then shot his head up, his eyes wide with panic. "Is Pitch back?"

Jack hopped from the dresser to Jamie's end of the bed, sitting opposite him so he could look him dead in the eye. "No, but even if he was, you know we would _never _let him hurt you or anyone else. But what I'm about to tell you stays between you and me, okay kiddo?"

Jamie nodded his head, and Jack plunged into the story of Faye before he could kid himself not to. He explained as gently as he could that bad things were going to happen, and that they needed a new guardian who was beyond their control. He told him about her capture from the otherworld, and how she was relentless in attacking. And he told him of her escape, and that she was nowhere to be found. Jamie listened to all of this with intensity, absorbing Jack's every word. He did not flinch or take in a nervous breath, only swallow down the information falling brick by brick on his shoulders. Jack couldn't deny that he admired the boy's control, and it reminded him of himself when he had been that age.

"What does she look like?" he asked once he had absorbed enough. Jack thought for a moment. Beautiful, dark, pale skin, huge eyes and a metal helmet of protection that framed her face. But that wasn't easy to explain. Jamie needed an _image, _and so therefore Jack spotted the pencil and notepad on the side of Jamie's bed and began to draw. He was done within minutes, creating an exact replica of the spirit who was supposedly a guardian. Jamie took the piece from him, staring at it intently. Jack pointed, and his voice took a lethal edge.

"Do you believe in her?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then if you see her, you have to tell me. And don't let her get close to you."

Half an hour later, Jamie had to get ready for school. Sophie came stumbling into his room, steadier on her feet more so now that a few months ago but still as clumsy as ever. She spotted Jack through her eye clear of blonde hair, and she clapped her hands with glee. Jamie rolled his eyes, stuffing the sketch of Faye into his draw and fiddling with the tie around his neck. Jack could only watch him in amusement, yet again catching a flicker of himself. He knelt in front of Sophie and pushing her hair from her eye, and she squealed with joy and jumped into an embrace.

"You should really get her hair cut." Jack said, chuckling as he tried to unlock the iron grip of the girl's arms around his neck.

"Try telling mum that." Jamie responded, helping Jack free himself. "Mom! Sophie's in my room again!"

"Easy, tiger, anyone would think that you're turning into a stroppy teenager." Jack grinned, hastily ignoring the heaviness behind that fact. He couldn't think about that now. Jamie had a good two or three more years of believing, and Jack planned on making the most of those years, even if to him they felt like little more than six months. He watched Sophie giggle, ruffling her hands through his soft white hair.

"White." she said, over and over. He grinned.

"Like snow."

"Snow!" and then she dashed from the room. Both Jack and Jamie laughed, and Jack stood up and hopped onto the window sill.

"I'll see you later, kiddo. Remember what I said." He warned the boy, collecting his staff that he had placed against the wall in the corner. Jamie stuffed a few books into his school bag, and the met Jack's gaze.

"I'll be fine Jack. Sophie, too. We're stronger than you think." Jamie said. Jack smiled warmly despite his cool nature, and then fell back into the wind, letting it carry him away. He grinned to himself despite the situation. Yes, Jamie was stronger, as was Sophie. A pair of strong believers, and their faith in himself and the guardians made them almost invincible. For the moment, Jack could relax. Faye may be out there, but if she tried to mess with them two, then she had another thing coming.

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I watched Jamie from a tree across the street. He was on his way to school, mingling with his friends and laughing. They threw snowballs at one another, bashing into each other's faces and constantly knocking them to the ground. I frowned. Seriously, what was so special about him? The great Jack Frost would give his life for _that? _He was just a kid, a _human _kid!

"Why you?" I whispered to myself, watching as he turned into the gates of the school. Shaking my head, I peered down at the globe that was still clenched in my hands, willing it to show me the whereabouts of Frosty himself. I smiled. He was in the black skies of another country, alongside Sandy as they continued their search. For now at least, I was a free rouge.

I jumped from the tree and landed gracefully on my feet, the only remainder of my nature as a fairy. They instantly numbed with the coldness of the snow, and with gritted teeth I pushed on. It was at times like this I wished I could still control the elements, for I would use fire to warm up my insides. But I had to go on without, and if I had survived it before then I was sure I could do it now and forever.

Although at least a pair of socks would have been nice.

As the day went by, people walked straight through me, oblivious to my presence and staying in their bubble of safety. Not that I could do much to them, anyway. I felt like a ghost, a lost soul searching for my resting place, which perhaps is what I really should have been. But of course, life had other plans for me.

You'd think that I got lonely. Not really. I liked the solitary life. I always had done, even when I was alive. I was that kind of person who said very little for I was always lost in my thoughts, and as a human my thoughts consisted of happier places. My head was that of every kid's dream; greenery, flowers, endless landscapes, a place of freedom. But I guess having a mind like that made me self centred, and thus threw me into the rut I was in now one hundred years later.

When I turned seventeen, I was the teenager of what you could call a hater of society. I hated my home life and I always wanted what I couldn't have. My family wasn't rich, especially since my father died when I barely turned eight years old. He left my mother and me with very little, for even his job struggled to bring food to our table. So when he left, ours lives began to shatter, and I envied everyone around me and grew increasingly selfish. I'd snatch food from a little kid who also came from a struggling family. I stole from the shops. I isolated myself from my mother. In my time, it was every man and woman for them self, and I took that to heart.

I regret it now, of course, but that didn't mean I had lost all my resentment and learned from my wrong doings. I had never had it easy, and probably never would. As a human, when _it _happened, I expected to die. I also expected him to die. I remember us falling side by side from the bridge, his hands clutching the hem of my skirt as we fell.

It was my fault he died. He was scared, and so was I, but I was selfish. So that begged another question of the endless. Why did the Moon bring _me _back, the selfish and cold one, instead of the child that was everything I wasn't?

I closed my eyes and willed myself not to think of it. That was then and this was now, and I needed to work out a system of how to build a living.

"Sophie! Sophie, come back here!" came a scream behind me. _Oh no. _I turned, and there she was, that girl with the blonde hair bolting after me down the street. Her eyes were fixed of the ball, and all I could do was run. She screamed "Santa" constantly, and I did all I could to divert her. I turned this way and that, but for a girl of perhaps three, she was incredibly fast if not clumsy. But, my God, she had a determination of a hunting dog!

I ended up in some kind of meadow, building being replaced by trees and roads replaced by snow covered grass. I skidded to a stop, picking out a tree to climb. I found a fairly large one just ahead and made my ascent, tucking the globe under my arm as I did. I perched myself on a branch and looked down at the girl.

She stared up at me with a frown. Her hair fell over one eye, which had to be infuriating, but it didn't seem to bother her. She watched me endlessly, her eyes flickering between the globe and my face.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I snapped down at her.

"_Santa's!"_ she shrieked in return.

"I told you, it's mine now!"

"_Santa's_!"

"Sophie! Sophie, where are you?" cried a voice in the distance, only it wasn't the mother. No, this was a boy's voice, or better yet, Jamie's voice. Sophie paid no attention, continuing to glare up at me. I climbed higher up in the tree.

"Sophie? Hey, Sophie! What the heck are you doing here?" and then the boy came into view, running down the slope and towards the girl. "Mom's worried sick!"

"Santa."

"Santa's in the North Pole, silly." Jamie said. However, the girl pointed in my direction up the tree, and when the boy's eyes followed to land on me, I let out a gasp of panic.

"Oh." he said, and put Sophie protectively behind him. But that wasn't what bothered me. What bothered me was that the boy could _see _me!


	9. All Because Of Me

**Chapter 9! This one is a little deep towards the end, so be warned. A little of Faye's true colours as a human are shown here... they're not good I have to say :') Enjoy, and thanks again for the support!**

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I stared down at him, and he stared back up at me. Violet met brown in a match of what seemed to be a challenge. It was as if he were daring me to doing something, _anything that_ posed as a threat. But why? To prove himself to me, to Frosty, or the kid behind him who I assumed now was his sister? I watched him carefully as he stepped away, gently nudging the girl back with his legs in his slow retreat. She was reluctant to move, reaching around him and up at me, as if she thought she could stretch her arms to retrieve the globe.

"Come on, Sophie." he grunted with impatience. She whined in protest, and then there was a distant shout of yet another human. The mother. Relief swept through me and I glowed a gentle cross between silver and blue for a moment, and in that moment I watched the boy's eyes grow wide. He paused in his retreat, and an undeniable look of curiosity swept into his gaze. Another shout came, and in response Sophie shouted "Mommy!" and sprinted off in the direction of the voice. Jamie stood still, cautiously straightening up from his protective stance. I was back to my coal black colour, and I could even feel my eyes darken a shade with irritancy.

"Whoa..." he breathed. I blinked, stunned by the awe evident in his voice, and my colour shifted yet again to a brilliant electric blue. His eyes widened further, and he took a step closer to the tree I was perched in. "How do you do that?" he asked me, his mouth agape. I made no reply, darkening with my silence yet again. He released a tiny laugh of astonishment, taking yet another step closer.

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you." I snapped, losing that final threat of patience to the wind. Why couldn't I just for once be left alone? Was that so much to ask? I didn't need a couple of kids to be constantly in my face! At my voice he stopped, staring at me with yet another look of bewilderment. Then he frowned.

"You don't look as scary as Jack made you out to be." he stated. I stood slowly, reaching above my head with the globe and perching it between two branches above me. I knelt back down, curling my feet around the branch and gripping it with my hands. I cocked my head at the boy, smirking with mockery.

"What did wise old Jack have to say about me?" I said darkly. He remained unfazed by my tone, responding almost instantly to my question with a little forethought.

"He said you were dangerous and that you've hurt people." he told me. "But you don't look like you can cause much harm to anyone."

"Perhaps you should listen to that guardian friend of yours. No point in taking risks, kid. Now get lost, I have better things to do than talk to brats like you." I spat, making him flinch with my final words. But to my bewilderment he stood his ground, hardening his gaze on me and frowning with annoyance. It was all I could do not to laugh with surprise!

"You're supposed to be a guardian, too." he said.

This time I did laugh. "Don't believe everything you hear. I certainly don't." I said. He stayed quiet for a while, his eyes raking all over me as he memorized me into his memory. I was awed by those huge eyes of his, so bright with wonder and hope, that spark that every child had, that even I had once upon a time. And they were so _warm, _filled with love; the love of a son, the love of a brother and the love of a friend. It made my heart ache, because it was a look that would always be there, but it would never be towards me. I was indeed what Big Ears claimed I was; an outsider. I was someone who was incapable to being loved by anyone, and I would forever look on through a foggy window at the people who could indeed give and receive such an emotion.

"Aren't your feet cold?" he asked.

"What?" I said, frowning. He jerked his chin up, indicating my bare feet. I looked at them, seeing them as a cool blue rather than the paleness they normally were.

"That must feel horrible." In all fairness, it did. I couldn't feet my feet as they were bitterly numb, and yet I was able to feel the severe stinging racing from my toes and up my legs. My entire body was freezing, but without my energy source, I was unable to warm myself up. I just had to endure it.

"What do you care?" I snapped.

He glared at me. "I don't." he walked away then, climbing up the slope and disappearing over the top. I stared after him, stunned yet again. Time passed, I'm not sure how long, and I finally retreated from my perch in the tree and descended to the ground. I cringed at the ankle deep snow, but pushed down my discomfort and moved on. I needed somewhere to sleep; I could feel my life draining with exhaustion. I stumbled on weak knees and looked on through heavy lids, watching as the world around me slowly darkened. That ended my second day of freedom, and I wondered how much long I could last.

After a while I found a small cave. There were woods that surrounded the town I found myself in, and to my relief they were thick and engulfing. I had considered settling in a tree, but when I found the cave I scrapped the idea. It was warmer in here, protecting me from the gusts of wind that had slowly developed as the sun went down. I curled into a tight ball, trying to lock in my body heat and biting on the shivers that threatened to erupt through me. I hugged the globe to my stomach like a child would hug their teddy. My stomach growled. I groaned quietly, realising I hadn't eaten in more than two days. I closed my eyes and sighed. I'd have to scavenge tomorrow, or perhaps steal some food from the humans. Either way, I was glad I wouldn't have to eat any rotten apples.

I opened my eyes for a moment. Through the trees above, I could just make out the Moon watching me through the ever moving clouds. I took part in a match of endless watching, for he was always watching me now. I could feel him all day and all night, ever since I was taken from the otherworld. I couldn't feel his thoughts on me like I used to be able to, or hear his voice. He never spoke to me. He had only spoken to me twice in this life; the first was when I woke up, and the second was when I lost my wings. Even the Moon, who had reasoning for every being in the world, had lost hope in me. Was saying that I was a guardian a final fight at trying to give me a better life? Or was it a final chance to give me misery? Watching him, I wished he would speak to me. Just one word, whether it was my name or my purpose. Anything! I could bare everyone in my world hating me. I could bare the punishment of never being believed in. But I couldn't stand the thought of never having the Moon's guidance again.

What if he was no longer my guide? My mind wondered, and I shivered but not because of the cold. What if my guide was Shifter? It was his voice that drifted into my head, it was his beckoning that made me feel less alone, and it was his admiration of me that sometimes made me feel like I was something of worth. Even now, thinking of his constant chase in my head, his insistence that I join him, I could feel my heart lift ever so slightly. Was he who I was supposed to follow? Was the Moon trying to test me in response to this? Only I could make the choice of my path, and now that the Moon refused to even speak to me, I could feel myself turning in the trail towards darkness.

I blinked slowly, fighting my drowsiness for a few more moments as I made a final effort to talk to him. "What am I supposed to do?"

Nothing, only the wind. The clouds moved in front of him, and I gave up. Hugging the globe tighter, I let my eyes get the rest they needed, and I secretly hoped that Shifter would visit me in my dreams.

_I watched the seven grieve. They were a range of ages, from seven years old to seventeen. One in particular, a girl who was sobbing into the shirt of the oldest boy, caught my attention. I knew her. Well, I knew all of them, but it was her that I knew the best. Her name was Ruth Middleton, and she was grieving for two teenagers of many people that had recently died as were the others. However, one of the teenagers had been her brother. She looked just like him. She had the same brick red hair and shocking green eyes, and the height of her cheekbones and lining of her jaw was also the same. Who would have thought that someone with such strong feature could look so incredibly stunning? Her brother, Arthur, would have grown to be a fine man, and being just thirteen he was nearly there. But his partner in death had made sure he never got that far. _

_The other being that had died was me, Faye Cameron. I was seventeen when I died, just a few days before now. _

_I hadn't intended to kill Arthur, not really. He was just _there. _He'd tried to help me, but I was beyond knowing why. He'd just appeared behind me, beckoning me by saying my name softly. I'd been standing on the bridge, looking down. I could hear the distant screaming in the distance, many shouting "Fire!" over and over, and many bellowing for people trapped in buildings. I could even hear the crackles of the flames, even from here. _

_"Faye. Don't do this." he said. His voice was thick and I could tell he was fighting coughs. Had he been in one of the buildings? Perhaps. He had always been brave, so I wouldn't run it past him that he might have gone in to save people. Just thirteen and already considered a hero! _

_"Why?" I said. _

_"I know you did it, but this isn't the answer." he told me. My heart peaked up its rate with the realisation of his words. People were dying because of me! I'd been stupid and reckless, and now people were dying! I sobbed, and made a move._

_"No!" he bellowed. He was suddenly on the bridge wall beside me, the panic in his eyes evident. His handsome face was caked with soot as were his clothes, and he gently grasped my arm. "Don't. We can get past this. People will understand."_

_"No they won't!" I shrieked._

_"Faye, come on. Think about this!" I began to shove against him in my anger and distress, and in our struggle, the sound of the devastation taking place in the distance intensified in my ears. The screaming, the fire, it became too much! Arthur tried to pull me from the wall, and I tried to pull away from him, and in seconds the latter won out. _

_As I watched his little sister sob his name, I dropped my chin to my chest. He was dead, as were everyone else, and it was all because of me. _

_All because of me, all because of me..._

* * *

I woke with a start. Not just a start. I was in the middle of a freak panic attack, my body thrashing and words of distress falling from my lips against my will. That memory, I had never gone back to that memory! It was one of my worst, one of my lowest times, and I never let myself to go back! I couldn't stand it, seeing them all grieving! Especially not for _me! _Tears streamed down my face and my sobs broke through the wind. I turned towards the inside of the cave and pulled myself into a tighter ball, shielding my head with my arms from nothing but the screaming I was creating.

_All because of me..._

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**Poor Faye :( You know what to do!**


	10. Jack Arrives

**Chapter 10! This is all in Jack's point of view, so enjoy, and there is also a lot of interaction between him and Faye :)**

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She didn't know he was there. He was perched in a tree, clinging to his staff of obtain his shock at what he was seeing. He wasn't seeing a creature of darkness and rebellion against good, but a girl trapped in a spiritual body being tortured by her past. She tossed and turned, screamed and sobbed, begging for help that wouldn't come. He felt his frozen heart tug with dismay at the sight before him, and all he could do was look on with a sad expression.

Jack had originally planned to come here with the intention of grabbing her. He had envisioned himself having to struggle to control her, imaging that he would have to possibly freeze her to get from A to B. How had he found her, you ask? Her screaming. He had been passing through for another sweep when he heard torturous screaming, and at first he thought it was a child in need of his rescue. He was _not _expecting this!

After a while she fell back into a slumber, and despite everything, Jack didn't have the heart to wake her. He watched her body slack with calm, and her colour faded from a fiery red to a cool grey. This was the first time he had really looked at her since meeting her. Before he saw her as nothing but an inconvenient shadow, one of which he gave a wide berth. Sure, he had taken in her beauty, but every fairy was ungodly attractive, it was in their kind. The only thing he had really seen were her eyes, and they certainly were a beauty in themselves. But now he looked at her properly, and all he could see was a small being who was lost and alone, haunted when her guard was down in her sleep. He could relate to that feeling. Nightmares were just as bad and not being able to remember anything at all. He knew she had been suffering, but not like this.

He watched the sun rise as the hours passed, and he was glad he was a patient man. By all means, he wasn't about to be best friends with her, and he was sure the feelings were mutual, but he was willing to work on her weaker points. The Moon had something planned for her, that much he knew, and he also knew that he wanted himself and the others to help guide her in the right direction. She was a lost soul, but she hadn't fallen into the oblivion just yet.

His first goal was to get the globe away from her. That thing was more powerful than she could imagine, and if she wasn't careful she could end up using it for the wrong reasons. North was still pretty annoyed about the whole ordeal, mostly with himself. Jack had also been angry, but now he had had time to calm down, he realised that he wasn't one to judge people when they made mistakes.

As the dusk turned into early morning, he fell from his spot in the tree with a graceful landing. She was facing him, her eyes closed but her lashes still damp with tears. She had a loose grip on the globe that was tucked snugly against her stomach, and she almost pulled off a look of innocence. If not for the constant frown and glum colours, she could easily pull of such an appearance, but she no doubt saw that as a weakness. He wouldn't run it passed her that she thought sleeping was a weakness, and that she would avoid it as much as she could. But she was exhausted; her eyes gave her away. Dark shadows formed over the skin around them, adding to her already dark beauty. He stopped before her, crouching down just a foot or so away and simply staring at her.

After a moment his crystal gaze fell on the globe again, and very slowly he reached for it. He bit his lower lip with concentration, and he gradually grazed his fingers against the glass. But when his palm resting against the smooth surface and his other hand made a move, she shifted in her sleep. He cringed and pulled back ever so slightly, only to make a second move towards it. _Come on, come on... _he thought furiously. His other hand grazed the glass, and for a moment he thought he had it.

And then her eyes opened.

She didn't miss a beat, and she even had Jack Frost at his downfall. She was alert in seconds, her legs swinging and catching the back of his knees, knocking him to the ground. He landed with an _oof, _and she was instantly straddling him. He had left his staff on the ground when he tried to retrieve the globe, and as he reached for it she effortlessly pushed it away from his reach. Her hands then pushed on his shoulders, and he was inevitably pinned to the spot. Both were panting with the incident that had merely happened in seconds, and he couldn't deny that he was impressed. She smirked down at him in triumph.

"You really need to work on defending yourself." she sneered.

"Good morning to you, too." He retorted. He purposely made himself look relaxed, something he was incredibly good at, and as expected she looked a little fazed. In response, he clenched his eyes shut and bolted his forehead into hers, dazing her and making her roll off him. He instantly gathered a headache; that armour was freakishly strong! Both groaned with the assault, and in the next moment were on all fours in a standoff. She watched him and he watched her, and for a minute time stood still. His eyes flickered to his staff and in a flash he bolted for it, her hot on his heels. Both lunged, and he grabbed it. She gasped and dodged the bolt of ice that fired from the curve, and she was right to back off once he was armed.

"You're good, but not good enough." he said casually despite his threatening stance. She cowered, backing back into the cave and hiding the globe behind her as she did. He nodded towards it. "We're gonna need that back, Pix, North is sort of losing his marbles about it."

"Tough." she spat.

"Oh, come on, loosen up!"

"I'll loosen up when you point that staff in another direction."

Both stood frozen, and then he hesitantly moved the staff away. He expected her to lunge for him again, but instead she did indeed loosen up and focus her attention on him. Huh, maybe she was smarter than he gave her credit for. Smiling, he crouched and hugged his staff, meeting her gaze at the same level.

"So, what's the plan, Pix?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, her frown deepening. He rolled his eyes.

"You know, the _plan. _What did you plan on doing once you escaped? Like, what kind of living? Were you going to stay in hiding for the rest of your life?"

"I hadn't planned that far ahead, it was a split second decision at the time." she snarled, clearly getting annoyed.

"A stupid decision if you ask me."

"Good thing I didn't ask."

A few minutes passed, both analysing one another in a mental dance of dominance. Both had wicked tongues and a weird determination, as it was a breath of fresh air for Jack to find someone so similar to him but also remain the exact opposite. But he wouldn't allow himself to fall into that trap. He'd been there before. The temptation of Pitch and his insisting that they were so alike. No, he wouldn't make that mistake again. _Never _again.

As they continued to stare at one another, they hadn't noticed the group of children running into the meadow just a few meters away. They were laughing and shouting, running towards a frozen over pond that Jack had taken care of through the night. They let out excited squeals and they slid on the ice, laughing as one by one they fell. Jack looked at them and back at Faye, who was watching him with a curiosity far more intense than he had ever seen. He swallowed with nerves, because among those children was Jamie. And as he looked back at the kids, he saw that Jamie was watching their stand of and making his way towards them.

"Jamie, go back to the pond." he said in a stern voice. The boy froze, and Faye grinned. After a moment's hesitation Jamie came closer, coming to stand beside Jack with a curious stare of his own. Faye nodded towards him, smirking.

"Hey, kid." she said. Jack frowned, looking between the two.

"You've met?"

"Oh yeah, after his sister started harassing me yesterday, isn't that right Jamie?" she said smugly. Jack hadn't wanted Jamie and Faye to meet. Not now, not ever. But knowing that they had indeed met and that Jamie was left unharmed, if anything, more curious, them he couldn't help but wonder if Faye was all she made out to be. First the nightmares and now this?

"She wanted the snow globe." Jamie said innocently. He looked up at Jack, and his expression showed nothing but guilt. Jack gave him a gentle smile but also nudged him behind his legs, placing himself between the boy and the rouge. Faye pouted, but it was all mockery.

"I never thought your weak spot would be a meaningless kid." she said.

"Shut up." he snapped. "Jamie, go back to the pond. Now."

Jamie ran, and Faye watched and he ran down a slope back to the other kids, who seemed oblivious. Suddenly, Jack was in her face, tilting her head up with the tip of his staff.

"Go near him, or any of the kids in this town, I'll have your head as a trophy." he snarled, and he watched her eyes flash with surprise. And then she giggled.

"Loosen up." she purred. "He has nothing I want, and neither does the girl or any of the other kids, chill your beans Frosty."

"I'm a man of my word, Pix."

"That's nice to know." she said. "But you don't scare me. None of you do."

They glared at one another, oblivious to Jamie's staring from the pond. Faye must have felt the child's gaze first, looking in his direction. She smiled back at Jack, cocking her head.

"Don't do anything rash, Frosty, you're being watched." But he wasn't listening. He had his eyes on the globe behind her feet, and all the treat and challenge had vanished from his eyes. Instead he looked on in horror. Why? Because the globe was nothing more than a sphere of back shadow, like smoke swirling within its walls. He hooked his staff around the fairy's waist and yanked her from the cave faster that the blink of an eye, and he crouched before the globe. He daren't touch it, only stare. He was barely aware of Faye behind him, her own cockiness and teasing now washed from her face. The spirits watched the darkness within the globe, and all Jack could think was that time was running out.

"Fun time's over." he said to no one in particular. He finally grasped the globe. Swinging around to face Faye, he yet again hooked the staff around her waist, only this time shot into the air. Her scream of protest broke through the wind, but he didn't care. He through her up and snagged her on his arm, and at the same time he lobbed the globe ahead of them as he shouted the words "North Pole!". The portal opened, and they vanished within it.

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**Jack means business! review!**


	11. Equality

**Chapter 11! Seriously guys, the support I'm getting is amazing, and I love you all for it! Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I know I'm bad for it :') Enjoy!**

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Needless to say, I was more than disgruntled by Frosty's assault. I could bare stand touch as it was, let alone behind held to his chest, my only safety barrier being his arm around my lower body. But all I could do was cling to said arm and hold back my cries of protest. If I knew anything about him, it was that he was as stubborn as I was. My legs were wrapped tightly around his, and I knew he was a little frustrated by this. How could I help it? I had no wings for crying out loud! Once we were through the portal and the bright light had abandoned us, I watching the globe give in to gravity for the briefest of moments.

"Catch it!" Jack hollered. His grip on me tightened, and I inevitably grabbed it as he swooped below its descending direction. I hugged it to my chest, lost for breath as my stomach climbed into my mouth. He laughed above me, dropping me for a second as he snagged my arm. The scream barely raced from my lips as he swung me up onto his staff, and I suddenly felt secure as his frost froze my feet in place. Instinctively I ducked down, gripping the staff with a hand and snagging the globe under my arm. As the wind plunged into my face with bitter coldness, I looked to the sky as if to say, _Seriously? _

I closed my eyes, letting my stomach fall and rise with Frosty's steering. Finally, we took one last swoop and I clenched my eyes tightly together, waiting for the cold to mould into warmth. Eventually it did, and I felt a second wave of dread smash into me. He landed, and with the flick of his staff threw me off and onto the ground. The globe fell from my grasp, rolling across the floor until a foot stopped it.

"Special delivery for my fellow guardians!" Frosty called, almost his voice was thin of his normal confidence. My eyes were pinned of the foot that the globe was trapped under, and I slowly looked up to meet the eyes of who I already knew would be there.

"Hey." I said sheepishly, and North merely glowered back down at me.

Minutes later, the entire crew were there, and none of them were happy. Sandy refused to look at me, and I'm not going to lie, it sort of hurt. Out of all of them, he was the only one to show me any remote kindness from the beginning, showing me a happy time from my human life when I was at my lowest upon my arrival. And now all I saw was betrayal. Did he not understand? I wasn't meant to be locked up. It was in my blood to be free!

Tooth should have known that better than any of them, but all she could do was glare at me. Again there was that look of betrayal, a soul sting from her eyes travelling to my gut. But I didn't care as much, but I was disappointed in her. She should have known better. Being the figure of a mother, she should have seen the whole situation through my eyes, but instead she went to judge me just like everyone else.

Do I even need to describe Big Ear's reaction to my return?

I was back to square one, but when had I really reached the second square?

I didn't miss that Frosty made no attempt to trap me in an ice dome. I was on the floor, waiting to be enclosed like an animal yet again, but he didn't nothing more than stand before me and look at the others. My back was against the wall, so I was still trapped, just not officially. For whatever reason, he was giving me the option to fight. I stared at him, and I knew he was testing me. I didn't fight. I couldn't. I was so _tired _of fighting, it was something I had been doing my entire life, human and not. Just to believe he was offering me a chance of rest was enough for me to simply watch, allowing the betrayed gazed to fall heavy on my shoulders. I had become immune to such a stare now, anyway.

"We have a problem." Frosty declared.

"Yeah. You brought that back." Bunnymund sneered, glaring at me. Was it me, are did I shiver from the chill of Frosty's returning glare?

"We have bigger things happening here." he said.

"What do you mean, Jack?" North said. I closed my eyes, feeling invisible. How degrading! Not one had addressed me personally aside from the one who was intent on annoying me. All I wanted to do was curl into a ball and blend into nothing; that way it hurt less. I did something similar to those lines. I rested my head against the wall and zoned out as he explained the ordeal with the globe, describing the shadows and the darkness that came with it. He was questioned ever so slightly by the group, but he offered little answers, simply saying that he came straight here. I was surprised he didn't go into depth about our own personal exchange before the globe alerted him.

All was silent, and I opened my eyes. Each other of them were staring at me questioningly, as if they had asked me a question I hadn't heard.

"What are you looking at me for?" I said, frowning.

"You're the key in all this." Frosty stated, also frowning.

"How'd you figure that one out?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Big Ears snapped. "You come from the otherworld. You know what they're capable of. You know their plan! But for whatever reason, Manny finds you special. So be a doll and help us out, will ya'?"

"Not with that attitude."

"Faye." Frosty said, and he knelt down to my level. It was the first time he had addressed me by my real name. "The games need to stop. We need to put our differences aside and you need to help us."

I stared at him for a long moment. "There's a difference between _want _and _need._" I finally muttered. All groaned with frustration, and I felt my anger flare. "No! Don't do that! You don't want my help, you need it! You have no choice in the matter! North, I've said it before and I'll say it again; if you knew that the Moon had made a mistake, you'd throw me back without a second thought. I'm an inconvenience to you lot, a complication! Do you have any idea how demeaning that is? Why should I help people who can't even see me as an equal?"

That shut them up, and I continued. "I'm done things wrong, I know that. I hate myself for the things I've done, you have no idea how much! But to be judged all day every day makes it all the more agonizing! You expect me to obey you, but what do I get? You don't even want to care about me, you just feel you have to give that illusion. Well guess what, I've been fooled by that many times, and I won't be fooled again."

"But you're right, darkness is coming. There are powerful things out there, far worse than you can imagine. And maybe I am your only way to saving the very people you care about. But guess what? I strike a hard bargain. I've suffered all my life, helped people and got nothing in return as a form of punishment. Maybe I am a guardian, but I am sure as hell not going to help people who have helped make my life a misery." I was on my feet now, glaring at each and every one of them, Frosty having backed away to stand between Tooth and North with nothing but shame on his face. In fact, I had ripped through all of their skins, for they knew that they had also done wrong. Life was about second chances, even for the most demeaning.

"You. Owe. Me."

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They started by letting me roam the North palace at my free will. I tolerated having one of them to keep an eye on me; I didn't see a problem with that. I may have been demanding equality, but I was still sensible enough to recognise my recent escape. We weren't letting me get away again, at least not until I was trustworthy. I wasn't one to judge.

North promised to give me a tour in the morning, for we had both agreed that it had been a long day. He resorted to being careful around me, averting his gaze when I met it with my own. He was ashamed, and I was glad. I had gone on to say that they had treated me like an animal, a puppy training to be a working dog, and the responses I got were amazingly satisfying. Flinching, the closing of eyes, the biting of lips. All shame, all fulfilling.

I was allowed a bed. A bed! A mattress, pillows and a duvet! The room was small, but I didn't care. I had a bed! It was a room designed for times like these, where the guardians spent a lot of their time in North's realm. This was the place where they could rest and simply get away for a few hours, and since I was supposedly a guardian, I had every right to be in this accommodation.

Naturally, the room was Christmas themed; warm red walls, toys here and there, pictures of passed Christmases over the past few centuries. It was comforting somehow. My bed was a single, but oh lord it was comfy! The mattress was made from nothing but feathers tucked in a massive rectangular cushion, and the pillowed and duvet were also made of nothing but feathers within concealing materiel. As my body sunk with true delight, I couldn't help but beam. I hadn't slept in a bed for many, many years, and it made me feel human! _Human! _For a few minutes, I shone a bright white colour, so bright it made me glow.

I dozed off for a while into a dreamless slumber, but when I woke up I wasn't alone. Bunnymund was at the end of my bed, on all fours and looking very much like he should have done. A rabbit. He frowned at me, and I frowned back. I sat up, wiping away the sleep from my eyes. We sat in silence for a while, and then he spoke.

"I'm sorry, kid." he whispered. I waited, raising a brow and I earned an eye roll. "You know, for judging you like that. I still don't like you, bear in mind, but I shouldn't have been so... er..."

"This is killing you, isn't it?" I smirked.

"You have no idea."

"Oh, I do." my smirk broke out into a grin. "But it's incredibly enjoyable."

"Urgh, I don't need to explain myself! Basically, I'm sorry, alright mate?" he snapped, and he hopped off my bed with a hasty need to get away. I laughed.

"Sure thing... _mate._" I paused. "Tell whoever it was that put you up to this a message from me. I can sort out my own relationships. I don't need them butting in."

For the first time, he smiled at me. "Finally something we agree on." And then he left.

I went to put my head down on the pillow when something emerged from under it. A tiny squeal erupted in my ear, and I let out a startled "Oh!" There, hovering in front of my face, was a hummingbird type creature, no bigger than the space of my hand. A single golden feather grew from the centre of its forehead, and the rest of its body consisted of green feathers. It looked at me with eyes two or three shades lighter than my own, and all I could think was that it was one of Tooth's fairies. I reached for it, for _her_, and she allowed me to brush my finger down her front. Her eyes rolled slightly and she smiled brightly. I smiled, but then she fleeted off into the darkness of the room, exited through the door Big Ears had just left through.

I went to sleep with a smile.

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**Naww ^_^ Review!**


	12. Bonds

**Several of you have made me want to cry today with your PMs and reviews! Honestly, you make me so happy! I have also had a very Christmassy day today, put up the tree and everything! Less than two weeks guys! Wooo! Anyway, enough of my hopeless excitement, here's chapter 12! Thank you again for the endless support! **

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"Whoa..." I breathed as I looked around.

"Welcome to the workshop!" North boomed, extending his arms to address the entire room, which seemed to be a world of its own. Frosty was with us, keeping close to my side with every intention of taking action if need be. He needn't worry; I wasn't in any kind of mood to rebel. I just wanted to take a moment to stop and just _breathe_. I wanted to let my new environments hit me in the face and scream at me to admire them, and for once I was going to let just that happen. No fighting, no running. Go with it.

All around, yetis and elves were working away. Christmas was in two weeks apparently, and I had never seen any kind of being so dedicated to one thing, let alone hundreds! I had forgotten about Christmas. No, I had forgotten about time all together! The otherworld was always dark, so it was impossible to distinguish day from night, and after a while you just forgot the meaning of time and what came with it. So according to this world, especially in this day and age, Christmas was a big deal.

I dashed down the stairs to go and look around, and I was vaguely aware of Frosty reaching for me. I glared at him, and North simply chuckled.

"Ease up, Jack. Let the girl have a look around." he said. I grinned up at him and rushed on, having every intention of looking at every gift being made, at every skilled hand creating them, and laughing at every elf that screwed something up. Unlike everything else I knew, these guys weren't fazed by me. Some didn't notice me, others waved frantically at me, and the elves followed me with undying curiosity as to who I was. They were funny little things, like living Santa hats. Their eyes were always pinned on me, and their tiny legs moved in blurs just so they could keep up with me.

The yetis were a little less interested, but they were curious all the same. They paused ever so slightly as I watched them, but then continued without looking at me again. The amount of care that went into their toys fascinated me. No matter what they were made of, whether they were wooden or cotton, they treated them as if they were glass, as if one mistake could shatter the whole thing. Their dedication had my admiration, and I found that if I had the time I could have watched them all day.

I was watching one piece together a teddy bear when North came beside me, placing his hand on my shoulder. I looked up, instantly alert and finding disappoint seep into my gut. The look on his face told me it was time to go, but there was something more in the look of his eyes.

"Come with me." he said. I followed, annoyed that Frosty was instantly behind me as I did.

"Give me a break." I whispered to him. He chuckled.

"Give me reason to give you a break." he retorted. I rolled my eyes and then ignored him, curiosity striking again as North led me from the workshop, only not the way we had come. He took me to a quieter place, away from the magic, and I suddenly got a strong scent of hay. I frowned into the old man's back, and then we were walking down a tunnel. It was dark and gloomy, so unlike the setting his spirit represented, but then I saw light at the end. And then I heard something.

Bells.

He had taken me to the stables for his reindeer, although they were nothing like I had imagined them to be. In the books they were nothing but happy, flying deer, always seen as innocent and wanting a carrot at the end of each house visit on Christmas Eve. But if any child saw these on a dark night, they would have to rethink about the stories they had been told!

Strong, relentless creatures. Their hooves were constantly smacking against the ground with impatience, their breath coming out heavy as if recovering from a failed tantrum. Several elves were trying to control the animals, but with little success. They went flying here and there and everywhere, and I was amazing that they were anything but fazed. If anything, they were determined to dominate the creatures, much to my amusement. The reindeer went even wilder upon North's arrival, making screeching noises and raising on their hind legs in their enclosures.

"It is not time yet, calm it down! You need to save your strength! Only two weeks to go!" he bellowed at them, but I didn't miss the affection in his voice. A couple of them raked their antlers against the doors of their separate stables, and North banged on the doors with discipline. I couldn't keep the grin from my mouth at seeing these beautiful creatures, so dark and wild, anything but the stereotypical reindeer in the movies.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Frosty murmured, smirking at me.

"What's wrong with them?" I asked North, ignoring him.

"They want to fly." was all he said, for he was petting one of the strongest with the affection of a child with their favourite dog. The animal snorted, but nuzzled him nonetheless. The want to fly, of course, that made a lot of sense. Who didn't? It actually felt sorry for them, for they were stuck in here all year round and secluded from the air of the North Pole. It wasn't surprising that they were restless, what with Christmas just weeks away. It was soon going to be their night to shine, and I wished that I had so much as at least one day to fly myself.

I walked up to one of the beasts, a smaller one who continued to rake at his door. He saw me approach and reared up threateningly, smacking his hooves against the wood. I was aware of Frosty and North standing anxiously close to me now, North placing his palms up to the animal. "Faye, you really shouldn't..." he cautioned. I blanked him, staring into the brown eyes of the wild animal before me.

I opened the gate.

"Pix, don't-"

I closed the door behind me, and the animal raised itself up again, and this time he had every intention of hitting me. I had no idea what I was doing. My heart was in my mouth, and my mind was screaming at me to stop being an idiot and get out of there. But I couldn't. Seeing these creatures sparked a distant memory in me, a spiritual memory, back in my early years of creation. My kind had a weakness. Animals. We had a bond with animals, no matter how big or small, how harmless or dangerous. It was an inescapable bond to each and every one of us. And seeing these animals reawakened a memory I had long forgotten.

Me, along with Mia and two others who I had not seen since my exile. Dotty and Lou, they were called, and they were very much like Mia. Bright and hopeful, all the time. I remembered souring through the air alongside them, and in the hills of Scotland we came across a heard of deer. I remembered swooping down within the herd, my companions joining me with bright laughter. The animals watched us but didn't flinch, and I came face to face with the stag. He watched me, and I watched him, daring him. He then took off in a full sprint across the hills, his herd following. He wasn't running from me, he was racing me! I took him up on his challenge, and the four of us raced against them until the sun went down, swooping under their legs, balancing on their antlers and also keeping the herd together, especially the fawns.

And when the sun did go down, we were to move on. But the stag reared upon my retreat with the others, and a horrible screech escaped him. I'd laughed, grasping his antlers and pressing my forehead to his. I gazed into his eyes, stroking his neck tenderly. And then I left, and as me did the deer raced below, until they vanished into the forests and we flew into the clouds.

A happy time, a time long forgotten.

And now, with Frosty's cry of panic and North bellowing for control, I simply jumped back and grabbed the antlers of the beast, pulling his head to my level. I shushed him, and with a little resistance and scuffing of his hooves, he calmed down. His breaths came slowly and calmly, and I gently moved my hands to his neck, relishing the softness of his brown fur. I imagined myself racing him through the sky on a snowy night, laughing and letting the both of us taste freedom, and gradually Mia and the others joined me in that picture. That was how it was supposed to be. That was how life should have been. But instead, the reindeer and I came from very different worlds. I pressed my forehead to his and sighed, tenderly stroking his face.

I had forgotten about the company I was keeping.

"How did you..."

"Do that?" North started and Frosty finished, sounding aghast.

"Those things hate everyone _but _North! How the heck did you do that?" Frosty burst out, but he sounded distance. For the first time in years, I was in a state of calm, and apparently so was the reindeer. The others around us remained wild, but they were merely a distant thought.

Time passed, I don't know how long. But the North was in the stable with us, clearing his throat to pull me from my living dream. I opened my eyes and sighed, stepping away from the animal. He moaned a noise of protest, but didn't act upon it. North guided me from the enclosure, and I suddenly felt so very alone.

* * *

"You should have seen her! You know those animals, they're wild! Even Sandy can't get near them without them going crazy!"

"Calm down, Frostbite."

We were in North's office again, all six of us sitting around the fire. Jack decided he wanted to recount my exchange with the reindeer today, but I would have rather forgotten it. that was the first animal I had interacted with in too long, and I felt myself gather hope that was pointless in having. I should have been happy, but I felt nothing but glumness. I was no better than them, forever grounded and frustrated and feared.

"I've heard about Coloured Angels having weird bonds with animals." Tooth said. "They can tame even the wildest of animals with just a touch, and if the bond with the animal in strong enough, they can transmit images to their minds. Manipulate them, if you will."

"Manipulate is a harsh word." I said. "And we can do that with anyone, not just animals. It just depends on the bond between the fairy and the being they interact with."

"You mean, you could show us stuff, in our minds? How does it work?" Jack asked, his cold eyes bright with interest. In fact, they had never looked so invested in me, and it was unnerving.

"Well... I could show you my memories, or I could create an image from pure imagination. The bond between the two subjects had to be strong, strong enough that the images can travel through the energy of the fairy and the being. It's like and invisible cord, I guess." I explained, looking down at my hands. I didn't know why I was telling them. I guess I was at a loss, and the experience with the reindeer had thrown me off a bit. Also, like I said, I was simply tired of rebelling.

"Could you do it now?" Bunny asked.

"No. It's part of my powers, and I'm stripped of that." I said miserably.

"Then how could you control that reindeer?" Tooth asked.

And I had no answer.


	13. Stories

**Hey guys, sorry it's late again, been busy job hunting and writing up my CV! Desperate time call for desperate measures :P Anyway, this is a three part chapter, so should be intesting for you, because it was interesting for me to write :D Thank you for reviewing and following, love you more and more every day!**

* * *

Faye was sleeping again. That was good, so very good. The shields of her mind were at their weakest when she slumbered. He could get into every nook and cranny of her brain during these precious times, and he would learn her secrets when she was none the wiser. Every memory was achingly delightful and every emotion was as luscious as its colour. Faye was addictive, there was no denying it. And when you were addicted to something, you took advantage of that something whenever the opportunity arose.

Her mind was so complicated. It was so dark and crowded, filled with desire for freedom but self-bitterness based on the past. She was so unlike what she should have been; always dull, always cold and always negative. Oh, what he would give to have complete control over that mind, to have her thoughts and memories as if they were his own. And that he would do. He would win her over. He would _own _her, and she would become his little pet that obeyed his every command. Oh, he would achieve such a goal, he _would! _

As he connected himself to her mind, he let her thoughts attack him in a wave of fresh air. He searched the corridors of her head to find new information, all the while admiring her dull colours. He had learnt so much already, and she didn't even know. He had learned of the guardians' weaknesses; children. Jack Frost was the most peculiar, for his protection over children was so fierce, death itself would not faze him in his need to keep them safe. So weak. How could these spirits fall to the hands of children? They had such amazing powers, and yet they chose to use them on children who would stop believing in them anyway!

But Faye wasn't that pathetic. She was smart and independent. Even now he could still feel the strong shove of rebellion. She didn't want to be controlled, she was born to be free and airborne, and even he knew that. It was in her blood! But that wouldn't stop him from claiming her as his, for he had something very dear to her. Oh, she wouldn't deny him, not when the time was right. He could picture it now; him descending darkness over the land, her standing by his side with a ball of fire in her palm, a smirk of her ferociously stunning face. She'd follow him, she'd bow to him, and she would do every one of his animalistic deeds with _pleasure_. It was in her blood to be free, but it was in her own personal nature to be dark.

There! A fresh memory, a living image of North's grand old workshop! Oh, how fresh that was to see! Those elves were funny creatures, even they made him chuckle with amusement. He watched through Faye's eyes as she explored, and further on in the memory she was with a creature. A reindeer. No. No, this couldn't be! Was she… bonding with it? Indeed she was! He could feel their threads of energy locking in the memory, binding them together without either of them knowing. He could feel her immense calm as her fingers ran through his fur, and for the first time in all the years he had known his little fairy, Faye was content!

This could not happen. Not now, not ever! She was his! She would always be his! But if she knew her powers were coming back, he'd lose her for good! If she was bonding with that creature, then it was only a matter of time before she bonded with the annoying company she begrudgingly kept!

He yanked himself from the memory in a fury, and through the land of stillness, his scream shook the world.

* * *

Jack sat watching her. She was surprising him every day that went by. The whole scenario with the reindeer had him stumped, for that was the first time he had seen her give any kind of affection. She finally showed something far different from what he knew, and he began doubting himself all the more. He had been quick to judge her. All of them had. And she said it was very degrading. He knew what that was like, and he should have known better, but he also knew that she had a dark side she was unable to escape. Everyone had shadows in them, but hers were more dominant. She could easily lose herself in darkness, that much he knew. It would have been easier for her, like it would have been easier for him once upon a time. But for whatever reason, she wasn't giving in.

She was fighting for something, but it was a matter of what.

Tooth had joined him in keeping watch over her as she slept. The day had been exhausting for her, and she practically slept like a baby. A few moans of distress escaped her now and then, and she would shift ever so slightly, but it came as no surprise to him or Tooth. She had seen dark things, so naturally those things were going to haunt her whenever they got the chance.

"She's special." Tooth whispered.

"I know." Jack said.

"She's so unlike any other fairy I've met. Don't judge me, but most fairies are always _too _happy. But Faye? She's so dark, and yet so…" she trailed off, not sure on how to finish.

"Gentle?" he offered raining a brow. She smiled and nodded. "She's troubled, and I don't trust her, but I think there's hope in her yet."

"I hope so. For her sake." she hovered over to her, crouching by her bedside and watching her with the eyes of a troubled mother. "I just wish she'd let us help her." she murmured, tucking the duvet up to her chin.

"I think she needs to help herself. All we can do is guide her in the right direction." Jack said. "There's just so much we don't know about her."

"Time comes with great essence."

"And yet time is running out."

Jack watched with admiration as his friend traced Faye's cheek, barely touching her skin with the back of her fingers. The sleeping girl instantly relaxed that the barely there contact, her body slumping out of its tight ball. She released a sigh, the movement behind her lids finally stilling as she fell out of whatever dream she was having.

"Do you know the stories, Jack?" Tooth asked, glancing back. The boy shook his head, leaning on his staff with interest. He knew very little of Faye's kind, but then again her kind were that of a mystery. He had never heard of the stories though.

Tooth smiled, and hovered over to him. "They're rare. People hardly ever get to see them. When they fly, it's just a burst of colour, and most of the time you're not sure if you have seen it or not. It's good luck supposedly." she told him somewhat fondly.

"What exactly is their purpose?"

"It's said that they're mischievous. Because humans don't know of their existence, and that they can never be seen, they like to get up to trouble knowing that fact." she giggled. "They move things around in people's homes, knock on the walls, that kind of thing. They like to confuse them. When humans claim they've had a ghost experience, half the time it's the fairy's doing." she paused, suddenly realising that she hadn't really answered his question. "I don't really know. They choose their purpose. I met one once, her name was Poppy. She bonded with a little girl no older than three, and for that girl's entire life she protected her. The child couldn't see her, but that didn't stop her. Poppy dedicated her time and energy to that one girl, and when she died Poppy had no idea what to do with herself."

"What happened to her?" Jack asked softly.

"I don't know." she whispered sadly. "I met her a few days before the girl's death, and she told me everything. But then it happened, and she just... vanished, like she had nothing left to live for."

"Her purpose was fulfilled." said Jack gently.

"Yes." she closed her eyes. "I heard another story. There was this other fairy called Jazz. He dedicated his life to trying to become human again. I heard he hated his life as a fairy, and that all he wanted was to have blood running through his veins again. In the end, he turned to dark magic."

"Dark magic?"

"He used his powers for his own selfish deeds, and eventually he lost sight of who he was and what he wanted to do. He became addicted, and the more lost he became, the more powerful he grew." she sighed, missing Jack's heavy frown. "Like Faye, they must choose their path, but what they choose is beyond our control. They all start out lost, and that is what makes them so dangerous and beautiful."

This was so much information. Faye had rolled in her sleep, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her back. What was _her _purpose? Sure, she may have been a guardian, but there had to be more than that. What, or who, was she living for? Did she know yet, or was she slowly shedding light on it? No, she probably didn't know. Maybe she was just as confused as they were, and a little bit frightened. Behind every hard shell, there was a soft centre. She was slowing letting slip a nature she tried so hard to hide. Why? To stay strong? To keep her reputation in tact? It wouldn't surprise him. He liked to keep his reputation in strong threads, too, and Jamie was the only one to let him down on that field.

Jamie. He hadn't seen him in two days. In fact, he hadn't seen any kids in that time, for his world had been wrapped up in Faye's. It had been two days since he had had some genuine fun! Wow, he was indeed slacking! Tomorrow would be a good day to go and see the kids, for he would bring in a fresh cloud of snow in his wake in the lead up to Christmas. Bad things were no doubt coming, but that wasn't going to stop him from spreading the fun of the season! The thought made him smile, and as he looked at the spirit beneath the feathery sheets, a thought came to mind. He knew more about her kind than she knew about his duty. This seemed unfair, something Faye seemed to be very negative to in her standards. As a devilish smirk clouded his lips, Tooth raised a brow at him suspiciously.

"I know that look. What you up to, Jack?" she murmured, looking straight into his icy eyes. He broke out into a full on grin.

"Pix and I are going to do a little bonding of our own."

* * *

They didn't know I had been listening to them the entire time, from the story of Poppy to Jack's unsaid devious plan. I had rolled over to hide that fact, my eyes bulged open as I listened to Tooth's soft words of admiration and sorrow. I'd heard the story of Poppy, too. She'd been a beautiful fairy with a heart purer than gold. Her trademark colour had been a deep purple, a signifier to her passionate way of life. And the girl? She had gone by the name of Rose. Ironic, I know. But she had been of great pureness, and Poppy had been so drawn to her because of that that the girl was practically in control of her life. She hadn't even know she was clutching the cord to Poppy's still heart.

The pair had become the faces of our race. Their bond represented every other, and some were so strong nowadays that many classified them as the Poppy Bond. Poppy had gone down in history of the spirits, and when Rose died, so did she. She didn't die, per say, but she just faded away into nothing but a memory. They say that she would have been content, for her life had been fulfilled. You know what they say, a good captain goes down with his ship.

As for Jazz, no one knew for sure what became of him. There had been a time many, many years ago, far before my time, of pure darkness. Shadows began to darken the world, and along with it life began to fade. Trees died, animals became weak and useless, and people began to grow ill with the dark fumes their eyes could not see. The energy of life was drained, and it was a time of the Dark Ages. But then the Man in the Moon stepped in, creating good against evil, and the two sides went to war. The war lasted years, but eventually good won out and the perpetrators were banished to the otherworld. Everyone presumed that Jazz was either killed in that war, or was sent down with the thousands of others into exile. He was no better than the rest of them, no better than me.

Mia told me these stories in my early days of the change. This thought alone took me back to when I first met her. She had been in a tree, watching me passing a ball of fire between my hands. I was alone in the woods, the darkness swallowing me up and securing me from my surrounding world. She said no hello, no introduction to herself, only, "Light us a fire, would you? I'm freezing my toes off."

I fell asleep at that thought, forgetting about the two guardians murmured to one another by the door. Like always, images of shadows and red eyes entered the confinements of my mind.

* * *

**You know what to do! :D**


	14. Jack And Faye

**Chapter 14, enjoy! :D**

* * *

"Get off."

"What?"

"Get off the staff."

Jack and I were in North's office, for the spirit of winter decided he wanted to take me out of a day trip. Big Ears watched with a smirk as the two of us bickered. Naturally, I took my position on the staff, allowing my feet to be frozen as I waited for him to take flight. But in didn't, and instead was trying to shove me off it.

"Why?" I demanded. He gave it a harsh jerk and I toppled off with a shriek, but I landed into Bunnymund's body. His ultra soft fur tickled my skin, and he stood back on his hind legs as he stood me up. I muttered a thank you without even thinking before I turned to glare at the chuckling boy.

"I need it today." he said simply, as if it were a matter of fact.

"Then why are you taking me with you?" I sneered, glaring ferociously at him.

"Just do as he says, mate. It took a while to convince North, so don't waste an opportunity." Bunnymund said, as Jack smiled in appreciation. The boy held his hand out to me, and I started at it for a long time before I took it in my own. His skin was cold, sending a shiver down my spine. His smiled broadened and his eyes took a devilish shine, and suddenly I was yanked towards him. He wrapped my arm around his neck and my other arm around his waist, locking my front to his back. I was vaguely aware of the oversized rabbit laughing, but I was more concentrated on the locking of Frosty's muscles. He crouched, and then a gust of wind swirled from the open ceiling. In the next moment, we were soaring through the air.

With the slight added weight, it took him a few minutes to get an even rhythm with the wind. We swayed this way and that, making me clench my eyes shut to block out the nausea developing in my stomach. I buried my face in the softness of his hair, my arms tightening around him. Taking a peek, I was able to see that he had leveled his arms out on either side of him for balance, like the wings of a plane. Finally, we leveled, and I was able to able my eyes again.

For the first time in a decade, I felt like I was really flying. If I blanked out Jack from the picture, I could pretend I was flying on my own accord. I couldn't ride with Mia this way, what with the location of her wings, so the experience was only momentarily fulfilling. But this… I smiled, allowing myself to glow a content baby blue, and I was unable to stop myself from tightening my hold on him, but not for dear life. Was it just me, or could I _feel _him smiling?

"Where are we going?" I asked some time later, watching the never ending white mountains fade, replaced with buildings from the human population.

"Burgess." he answered over the wind. My eyes widened. He was taking to Burgess? To see the kids? I tensed, and he merely laughed. He swooped down, and at the same time released a burst of power from his staff. All around it began to snow, the flakes starting off small but then growing to be bigger than my fingers. Burgess was descending into night, the sun having long gone down and the streets alive with lights. Blues, reds, greens, flashing and blinking, some still and some fading in and out. I was momentarily disorientated by all of the colours, all so bright and beautiful. It brought the town to life!

Jack landed on the side walk in the middle of the town, and I slipped free from him. My legs felt wobbly and I swayed ever so slightly, but after a moment my vision came into focus and I was able to recollect myself. Jack watched me, looking concerned, and placed a hand on my shoulder to steady me further.

"I'm fine." I said. He didn't question me. He seemed to understand. When most of your days consisted on being on the ground, flying could disorientate you, especially when it was in your nature to do just that. But he didn't give me much time to dwell on my longing, for he snagged my arm and began to lead me down the street. Several people pasted straight through us, some children. It didn't bother me, but I noted how Jack flinched each time someone did, especially a child.

The snow continued to fall at a heavy rate, and many of the humans screamed with joy whereas others groaned in frustration. He pulled me past all of them, leading me away from the town and towards a housing estate. I instantly knew where he was taking me, and I yanked my arm out of his grasp.

"Why have you brought me here?" I demanded. I drug my heels into the rising snow, planting myself in place and crossing my arms with stubbornness. He turned to me and frowned. "Why have you brought me to see a load of kids who don't even believe in me, and the one's that do see me care little about me? What do you hope to gain?"

"I want to show you that not everything is bad." he said simply.

"_I'm _bad, never mind the world I come from!"

"That's what you think. Come on, have a little faith." he extended his hand again, and I rolled my eyes to the sky.

"Don't get me started on faith."

"Please, Pix." after a furious glaring match, I took his hand.

He led me up the street, stopping at one house in particular. He took me around the back to a wooden fence, surrounding what I presumed was a garden. We heard them before we saw them. Jamie and his sister were out in the snow, laughing and squealing as they played out in the snow. Sophie stood with her mouth wide open to the sky, catching the flakes on her tongue and giggling as she did. Jamie was busy making a mini snowman, gathering snow to create a body and head, placing the smaller ball on top of the bigger one. He went to get two stones for eyes, a big stone for a nose and used his finger for a big smile. He laughed, delighted as he urged Sophie to come and admire his work.

Jack kept us to the shadows so that the children wouldn't see us. I watched them and then turned to him, my expression somewhat blank.

"What's so special about kids?" I whispered. He closed his eyes, taking a deep, steady breath.

"Kids make me who I am." he murmured, smiling at the two children now making snow angels in the snow. I absorbed what he said, watching the mother appear in the doorway claiming that dinner was ready. The two dashed inside, kicking off their shoes and rushing into the warmth. Finally, I turned back to him.

"Why?"

"They were a big part of my human life." he climbed to his feet, turning in the opposite direction to the garden. He walked up a small slope and then down the other side, and I saw no option but to follow him. On the other side was what looked to be a pond, which he froze with his staff. He teased the ice with his toes and then his foot, finally putting his full weight on it and going to stand in the middle. I remained on the edge, watching his curiously. He gave a sad smile, and his glistening eyes met mine.

"This is where I died." he told me. My mouth fell open. And then he plunged into the story of his past life.

"I was eighteen, and my sister was ten. She loved winter because of the snow, and one day she wanted to go ice skating on this pond. I at first it was fine, but then we skated on a weaker part of the ice. It cracked beneath us, and she froze with fright. I took my skates off and tried to help her, saying that we could have some fun. I asked her to believe in me. I pretended to play hopscotch, which distracted her. I reached for this," he raised his staff. "and asked her to move towards me. The ice continued to break, so I grabbed her with this. I took her place, and for a minute I thought it was okay, that we were both okay. But the ice shattered beneath me, and I drowned."

"That's why the Man in the Moon chose me to be a guardian, because I sacrificed myself for my sister. He didn't tell me what my purpose was, and I didn't find out until three hundred years later. I had no memory for that time, and I was just as lost as you are now. The only thing I could do was bring joy to kids. As a human, I was a bit of a trouble maker, and I spent a lot of my time playing with my sister and her friends. I guess that part of me stayed with me, and I brought every child's wish for a Snow Day turn to reality." He had come to stand in front of me, staring into my eyes with a haunting look in his own.

"Why are you telling me this?" I whispered.

"You need to understand that you're not the only one who has suffered. Sure, you may have had a bigger ordeal than us, but that doesn't mean you can never grow past it. The Moon chose you for a reason, and you need to figure out why before you decide who you want to be."

"I don't know who I am." I choked. "I don't know who I want to be. Darkness is all I know."

"Then use it for good." He tipped my chin up with his staff, making me look at him. "The reason I was able to carry on was because of the kids in this world. But what's keeping _you _going?"

I raised my eyes to the Moon. I could yet again feel him watching me, watching us. I knew why I still bothered waking up each day, wondering and dreaming. I knew what my heart longed to know.

"I want to know why he put me here." I said. "And I want to know why he saved me instead of the many others who deserve my place." I walked away, sitting in the snow and pulling my knees to my chest. I stared away into the night, begging the tears to go away. I buried my face in my arms, and I listening to the crunching of the snow as he came towards me.

"What happened to you, Faye? Who were you?" he whispered.

"Faye Cameron." I breathed.

"And what did you do?"

"The exact opposite of what you did." I lifted my head. "I'll tell you one thing. It involved fire and people." I don't know what I expected. I thought maybe I'd get a look of disgust as he put two and two together, that maybe he take flight and abandon me here in the snow. Maybe I thought he'd hit me in anger, or at least scream at me for my wrong doings. You could say I thought he'd curse the Moon for his choice. But instead, he merely stared at me as if he were searching for something. He must have found something in my eyes, for he came and sat beside me, wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side.

It was then that I began to sob. My body shook with my weeps, tears chilling my cheeks and falling to my knees. Jack merely held me, placing his cheek on my head and shushing me gently. If there was any kind of anger in him he didn't show it. He remained gentle and understanding, allowing me to cry for a little more than an hour. Eventually, my sobs turned to sniffles. I don't know why I started crying. I was so unused to being cared for. To have anyone be the slightest bit nice to me had me at my downfall; even Shifter. I hated kindness but I longed for it at the same time, and it tore me in two.

"Jack?" came a tiny voice behind us. Jamie. I furiously wiped my eyes and pulled myself from Jack's arm, looking at anything but them. I heard the boy come around to face us and I lowered my head. I couldn't bear to look at him. I didn't want him to see me as weak and weepy as I was. But then I felt something being wrapped around my shoulders, and my eyes widened. A blanket?

"You can borrow my socks, too." said Jamie. I looked up at him, and he held out a pair of black socks. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a thick jacket, a woolly hat on his head to shield his hair from the snow. He was smiling, his nose bright red with the cold. How long had he been out here? Half an hour, maybe. He wore a pair of gloves and he came to sit right in front of me, crossing his legs to indicate he wasn't moving any time soon. I could feel Jack smiling at the boy, but I took little notice. Jamie dropped the socks onto my lap, and then he held his hands out to me. I stared at them.

"Give me your hands." he ordered, and I could hear a laugh in his voice. I looked at Jack and then back at Jamie, before I finally obliged. The boy took both my hands in his, and began rubbing his gloved palms back and forth, warming my hands slowly but surely. Jack wrapped the blanket tighter around me, tying the opposite corners to make it act like a cape.

"Why… why are you…" I sniffled.

"A friend of Jack's is a friend of mine." the boy said innocently, blowing his warm breath on my skin.

"Friend?" I asked Jack. He smirked.

"Sure, why not?" he said. "Nice one, kiddo." he said to Jamie.

As Jamie continued to warm my hands, Jack leaned towards me. "You're never alone, Pix. I promise."

I believed him.

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**Please review :)**


	15. Questions

**Chapter 15! Woo! Thank you everyone for the reviews! As you know it means a lot! Enjoy!**

* * *

Jamie stared at me, and I stared at him. He was grinning, his legs crossed on his bed, his hands gripping his knees. My eyes flickered to the socks on the floor before me and back at him, and I also stole a glance at the window. Oh boy.

Jack had gone to report back to North and the others about my sudden crumble, but it wasn't to spite me. He was putting a good word in for me, basically. Once my hands were warm and my tears had completely stopped he had taken me up to Jamie's room. The boy tried to race us, but of course Jack beat him to it. He'd helped me through the window, and Jamie had arrived to help me inside. I had resisted slightly but he had insisted on having his hands on my skin, his now free hands pleasantly warm. Then Jack had said he would return in a few hours, and with no more than a goodbye, he took off with the wind.

I knew what he was doing. If he planted the idea in my head that he trusted me, it would win me over. As much as I hated to admit it, it was kind of true. To know he could leave me alone with his pride and joy warmed my heart a little. The fact that he could leave me with a living human, his heart still pumping, his blood still flowing, was a little bit of a shock to the system. I may have been powerless, but I could still harm Jamie if I had wanted to. Unlike us, Jamie could die. Like anyone else, I could easily take his life from him. I didn't want to, of course, I wasn't that shallow, and I hoped I never would be. I had been down that path, and it had nearly destroyed me.

"Just wear them, they don't smell or anything if that's what you're thinking." Jamie said, nodding to the socks. I frowned.

"They look too big." I muttered. They actually did. During my transformation, I had gotten smaller and thinner. There was no way those things would stay on my feet, for my feet were that of non-chubby baby feet!

"Too big is better than too small." he retorted, giving a lopsided grin. I grimaced, and then put on one sock. As expected, it was flimsy around my foot, and the fabric felt extremely uncomfortable against my skin. When I was human, the clothing I wore consisted of stockings, corsets and gowns. All tight and so uncomfortable they _became _comfortable. At that time, I was lucky to have been able to afford a corset or gown, but my mother worked hard to make me better than she was. She wanted me to be the face of a failed family, the one who brought back promise by bringing in children with bright futures. She wanted me to be presentable for a man of wealth who would have been twice my age. It was because of her I went into self destruction rather than marrying into wealth, well, that and my father's death. He was my mother's downfall and she was mine.

"It feels funny." I murmured. The child jumped from the bed and came to sit before me, slipping on the second sock on my other foot. He chuckled.

"Your feet are tiny."

"Thanks for the observation." I said sarcastically, but he brushed it off. I then just looked at him. His face was glowing a gentle turquoise, and it took me a moment to realise it was me causing that glow. He was also starring in awe, his mouth open ever so slightly.

"Why do you glow different colours?" he asked softly, meeting my gaze. In his eyes, I could see the colour of my own. They were vibrant violet, big and round and stunning. I blinked, and then looked at him again.

"It reflects my emotions." I told him, watching his eyes brighten with this information.

"Then what does that colour mean?"

"Well... I feel relaxed, so I guess that's your answer."

"It's so cool. Pretty." he blushed at that last comment, and it was my turn to grin.

"Thanks, kid."

"So what's your story?" he said, hastily changing the subject. I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, who were you before you were this?" I had to admit, he had to be the most curious being I'd ever met. Question after question! It was a little frustrating, but I hadn't had a lot to do with kids for a century. I hadn't even had a lot to do with them as a human. I guess all kids were curious, it was what made them so much brighter than adults. They wanted to know and understand everything around them. Even babies were curious! From just days old, the only thing they could see were bright colours, and when shown said colours, they couldn't stop looking. I suppose that, a long time ago, I was just like him. A little girl with a heart bigger than the world who wanted to know everything. So I decided to humour him, for he realistically wasn't doing any harm.

"I was born in 1895." I told him. I watched as his face took a sudden seriousness as he calculated that date, his tongue sticking out and his brows shadowing his eyes. I laughed. After a few minutes, he gasped.

"That means you're one hundred and seventeen years old!" he marvelled.

"You make me sound ancient!" I said. "Frosty's older than me, he's over three hundred."

"I guess... it's still cool though." As he mulled this over, his eyes brightened again and I awaited his next question. "So when did you become what you are now?"

Oh, man. "1912."

"That's the year Titanic sank!"

"That's what you took from that?"

"I like history, cut me some slack." Next question. "What did you look like?"

Wow, no one had asked me that before. Heck, no one had ever taken such an interest in my past, not even Mia. Mia hadn't even asked how I died! "Well... I was fatter than this, but still slim. I had red hair that reached my waist, and I had green eyes. Since you like history, I'm sure you can imagine what clothing I wore."

"Did you ever get married?"

I swallowed. "No."

"What powers do you have?"

"_Did _have." I corrected, glad he changed to subject. "I could fly, and I could control the elements, so like air, fire, water and earth. I could take control of others' minds, too."

"What was your favourite element?"

"Fire."

The questions continued for a _long _time. He asked me about my childhood, and my first day as a fairy. I told him about flying and bonding, and shed a little light on Mia but kept her location under wraps, and eventually he fell asleep when I was midway through a story about racing the birds in the skies. His head flopped onto my shoulder for he had moved to sit beside me, and I couldn't help but smile. I glanced at the bed, and hesitantly I moved. I could him before he banged his head, and with the little strength I had, and scooped him into my arms. With a struggle, I carried him to the bed and laid him down gently. I pulled the covers around him and stepped back, sighing.

Sometime later, his mother poked her head through the door. Jamie was dreaming of flying, much to my amusement thanks to Sandy, who was somewhere out there in the sky. I watched the golden sand form above his head until his mother pulled me from my revere. I was sitting at the end of Jamie's bed, playing with my nails. I widened my eyes, momentarily forgetting that she wouldn't see me. She smiled at her son, a look of complete love and admiration, something my mother never gave me by the time I turned twelve. She clicked the door shut and I listened to her footsteps fade down the hall.

After that, I sat watching the Moon for a long, long time. Like normal, I received no words of guidance for he was as silent as ever. It got easier, I guess. The quieter he was, the more I forgot his voice. Closure was creeping in.

Suddenly, the room grew very, very cold, and for a moment I thought Jack had returned. I watched as the window opened, working up a comment on the tip of my tongue. However, it wasn't Jack. I felt my heart clench with fear, hopping from the bed to the far side of the room. Through the dim light, I saw something enter the room. It was animalistic, with glowing red eyes and a smoky black body. I held back a cry of shock for I thought it was Shifter, but the air was still to light to be him. If it were him, I would feel the atmosphere push down on my shoulders, his overwhelming power pushing down on me.

It looked like a deformed dog, its body constantly flowing in and out of shape as it moved. I swallowed back on my nerves, and to hide my fear, I pushed it down and made myself look to be a solid black. It made clicking noises as it circled the room, jumping onto Jamie's bed and creeping towards him. If my heart were still beating, it would have been pounding a million miles an hour. I clicked my fingers, hissing at it. Its red eyes met mine, and suddenly, there was a voice in my head.

_Faye... finally we... meet again..._

"You..." I choked, crouched down to make myself look small and invisible. Shifter.

_Come now, child... I have missed you..._

"How are you here?" I whispered, watching smoky saliva fall from the animal's jaws. It fell from the bed and came towards me, shoving its snout in my face. It smelt of pure darkness and smoke, and beyond that I was sure I could smell death. My mouth was very dry with nerves and it was all I could do to keep my feelings under wraps.

_Do not... fear me... dear. _

"How. Are. You. Here?" I spat, biting my tongue as Jamie stirred.

_The... boundaries... are breaking..._

"How are you in my head?"

His voice chuckled, and the creature before me cackled with it. _Bondage..._

Bondage? There was no way! It wasn't possible! I would never bond with him! He was a trickster, a liar, a killer! I didn't want to be like him, not now, not ever! He may have tempted me, but there was no way in hell I was joining him!

_Harsh words..._

"Screw. You." I snarled. And then the animal shrieked at me. It lunged for my face and all I could do was dodge. I sprinted around it, dashing for the window. It chased after me, and I was vaguely aware of Jamie bolting awake and crying out my name. I leapt through the window and toppled to the ground, unfazed by my harsh landing and sprinting around the back of the house. I heard it screech and scream behind me, urging me to run faster.

_Don't run... from me... Faye!_

My feet fell free from the socks Jamie had given me and my speed increased, but I misjudged the pond. My feet gave way as I slipped head first, and I slid across the ice with a burning chill on my skin. He laughed, and I screamed as the animal lunged for me, shielding my face with my arms.

"Oh no you don't!" someone bellowed, and I instantly recognised it as Jack's. I heard a crash and a crack in the ice, and a scream from the creature attacking me. "Come on!" Jack bellowed, and I managed to see that he was screaming at me. The animal was just a mass of cloud, no eyes and no jaws to define it, and some of it was trapped in ice. Frightened and disorientated, Jack tusked and grabbed me, flying up to the highest branches of a tree. He dumped me on a branch and took off below, freezing the mass of smoke right before my eyes. I watched as he screamed Jamie's name, flying to his window. He ordered the child to lock his window and go to sleep, ignoring his pleas for an explanation. I heard him ask if I was okay. I didn't deserve that kindness.

Like in my human life, I'd abandoned him. I'd abandoned someone.

_Tut... tut..._ he whispered, and as I began to choke on sobs, I felt him abandon my mind.

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	16. Time For A Change

**Wow! A lot of reviews on that last chapter! Thanks guys! Hopefully you'll like this one, Faye has a revelation :P Hopefully it'll make you like her more ;) Enjoy!**

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Jack wouldn't speak to me. An hour after I stopped crying, he paced back and forth at the base of the tree, looking beyond furious. I stared at nothing in particular, nibbling on my lip to contain my self-loathing. So many questions were swirling in my mind. How much time was left before the Dark Ages returned? How were Shifter and I bonded without me knowing? How was I ever going to get over my selfishness and put myself out for once? There was so much to think about but no time to do it, and right now, my hopes of redeeming myself were fading. Jamie could have died tonight, killed by me or by Shifter. That creature could drain him of his life and spirit, just like any other dark entity. If I was to stay in Jack's good books, or North's nice list, I had to do something about my actions.

I had to bond with Jamie, and maybe even Sophie.

They were the key to their hearts along with many other children, and I knew that if they could they would give their lives in exchange for the children. I didn't know how I was supposed to do that, bond with them, I mean. I felt no emotional connection to them. Aside from the odd let down, I was mostly frustrated when it came to kids. They weren't my field. Animals were my field. Humans, or people in general, were the very thing that I had had bad experiences with. They put me off! Many were the exact representation of myself, and they didn't deserve the protection I unwittingly received the night I died.

If I bonded with any child, they would practically control me. Did I want that? Did I want my actions decided for me? No, I didn't. I didn't want to wrap myself around some human's finger and be tied down for the rest of their life! But then again, I wanted to change. I wanted to be someone other than what I was born to be. I wanted to do something _good. _

If Jamie became my bond, I would be able to do nothing but devote myself to him. His energy would wind with my own; his thoughts would become mine, his emotions would be mine, his energy would seep into my own, and vice versa. His pain would become mine, his strength would become mine, and my heart would become his. You could say it was like a blood promise, but on a more spiritual level. Human bonds didn't work the same way animal bonds did. They were stronger and more demanding, and unlike animals, humans rarely responded with the same compassion to protect. Like Poppy. Her bond had never even seen her; she just lived her life none the wiser as Poppy watched over her day in and day out, and even fought for her when her life was threatened by both human causes and spiritual. Did I have that kind of devotion? I couldn't even devote to myself!

Jack wouldn't like it, I was sure. He probably would have been up for it until tonight. Now that I had ran out on his somewhat brother, he wouldn't let me near the boy, let alone grow a bond. I could feel the threads of trust snapping between us, and surprisingly, that made me all the more determined to prove him wrong. And then another idea sprang to mind. Before the siblings, I needed to bond with my fellow guardians.

Easier said than done.

I wondered what it would be like to bond with Jack. I could only imagine. His chill would seep through my veins, his desire for fun would become my own, and his power over frost, ice and snow would also become my own. The latter would be a hit and miss, though. If I was stripped of my own powers, would that of another's still work? There was no telling. And how would Jack respond? I'd be able to invade his thoughts and he mine, and being as devious as he was, would he be able to resist the temptation to assault my thoughts. Powers like that were addictive, I should know.

I marvelled the idea of bonding. I had never tried it on people before, but from the stories I'd heard and the knowledge I was reborn with, the experience was beyond amazing. Having a bond with someone who did not return it, like Poppy, was one definition of loyalty and love. Mia had bonded with someone, she never told me who, and she told me it was a temporary bliss for the human did not return it. So to be able to have a relationship so strong that two minds became one was something else entirely. It was rarely done with people! Our kind was next to nonexistent in the human world.

I could feel myself cooking up a plan in my head. I needed to bond with the guardians, and then I needed to bond with Jamie and possibly Sophie. If it was true and that in the package you became stronger, devoted and _good, _I needed one final ingredient before I changed my life for good. I needed to be believed in. With a bond came faith, love and trust, and with that trio came a strength like no other. Determination, a will to fight and a will to live.

I furiously wiped my cheeks clean and sniffled. Jack had fallen asleep, lying on the cold ground with his limbs spread wide, and once again he appeared relaxed in his slumber. How I was going to bond with _him _was beyond me. I just hoped luck was on my side, but that was a waste of breath. Luck was never on my side, but this time, I wasn't willing to give up without a fight.

Why this new revelation, you ask? Because I would _not _have Shifter controlling me! That was a sure no to the moon and back! The mere thought angered me. I was tired of being hated and judged and feared! It was time I grew a backbone and fought my own battles with every ounce of strength I had, powerless or not. My time of self-loathing was over. It was time to move away from the shadows. A thought struck me. I would emerge from the shadows, yes, but I wouldn't walk towards the light. No, I wasn't pure and never would be. But I wasn't one to play by the rules. If Shifter and I were going to have a face-to-face battle, I would prove that sometimes two wrongs made a blissful right.

First things first, I needed an understanding of the said bonds I would going to devote myself to. And, for now, I needed Shifter. He wouldn't know it, of course. Apparently, the bondage he spoke of was only one way, my thoughts into his. Well, that was going to change, and it was a teeth grinding thought. It meant that I would have to bond with him, too. I looked to the moon, thinking with a gritty tone, _I hope you're proud of yourself. _

Where to start? My head, of course. If there was one thing I knew about Shifter, he left a murky presence. I'd already come to the conclusion that the reason he had little effect on the atmosphere was because that wasn't _all _him, only a portion. That made him weaker, so I was able to rule out the danger I thought Jamie had originally been in. Although, I needed to somehow convince Jack of that. I sighed. Focus!

I closed my eyes, and with great effort, I got rid of irrelevant ponderings. I relaxed my tense muscles with a little persuasion and I took a breath of cool, refreshing air. The moment the icy air flowed into my longs, I felt myself give in to my thoughts more so than normal. I plunged into the dark corridors and blackened walls of my brain, the place I often 'hung out' in when I was in exile. But something was different, just like I'd hoped.

Smoke.

Subconsciously, I smiled devilishly. It was think, black and intoxicating, and I never thought I'd say I was glad to encounter it. I teased it with my fingers, taming it into solid black strands. Taking another deep breath, I followed the said strands and walked down my murky halls, ignoring the closed doors on my memories, resisting the temptation to visit happier, colourful times. Before colour, film had been blank and white. That was how I saw it now. I had to put up with the gloomy black and white images before I could be upgraded to colour. Right now, I wasn't just following a gloomy film strip. I was about to live it in the head of _him. _

I think I left my body. I suddenly felt weightless the more I followed the strand, but I wasn't flying. I drifted beneath a heavy weight with was so horribly familiar. _Suck it up, you wingless pixie! _I snapped at myself. I drifted deeper and deeper, so much so it began to get hard to breathe. I shivered, and then my feet were back on solid ground, only not in a dimension I knew. I knew I was no longer in the safety of my mind.

It was so black and cold here. I had never felt more alone and unnerved! This world gave the otherworld a look of paradise. I could feel death all around me, smell it and hear it, and I could also feel the countless innocent lives piling up around me, spirits screaming from memory, begging for a release from the pain. This place was so unlike my head. The memories were everywhere, flashing before me and begging to be seen. My head was so ordered and confined, and this was just a mess. Scream after scream, cry after cry, pain after pain. It frightened me and crushed down on me, trying to suffocate me. I couldn't breathe! Choking, I fell to my knees, covering my ears and clenching my eyes shut.

_Stop! _I shrieked mentally. _I'm in control! Shut! Up! _To my astonishment, they did. All fell dark and silent and I was able to think again. Panting, I stood again, and I took a deep breath. _Okay, okay, time to focus. Find a memory. You're here now, make use of it!_ I didn't allow myself to celebrate for my breakthrough. I knew how to get here, now I needed to find something relevant, but also I needed to seal the bond. I prayed to God that he was sleeping, or at least out of tune with his thoughts. He was stronger than me, and he would no doubt be able to sense my presence. I had to work, and fast! I didn't want to be there any longer than I had to be.

First, I willed a memory related to his plans. Surprisingly, his mind wasn't guarded, but then again I guess he didn't have to worry about people invading his mind in the past. Clearly he'd been underestimating me more than he let on, and I couldn't help but feel smug. His thoughts merged with mine with little effort, and I soon saw his future intentions. What I saw sent my heart exploding with rage.

Me, a darker image than normal. I had my head cocked, a smirk so evil it made me squirm, especially since it was on _my_ lips. My wings were coal black, huge and beautiful, and yet they leaked with the deathly smoke that Shifter was made up of. In fact, my entire body leaked his substance, pooling from my skin to the ground. My eyes were black, no white or purple, just endless black. In my hand was a fireball, but even that was black, not the bright orange it should have been. How far gone was I? I leaked with his power! How far had our 'bond' gone? Here, I had practically plunged myself into him and become a entirely new creature! Was this a fantasy or was this the unofficial future? I'd known that Shifter had had plans for me, but not _this! _I'd rather stay powerless than become _that! _

I pushed the image out of my head like a kid having a tantrum, throwing their toy across the room in the hopes it would shatter. But it didn't shatter. The image was burned into my brain, planted behind my eyelids, and it was exactly the motivation I needed. I would _not _become that, never! So I rampaged through his mind, seeking strands to connect with, forcing his mind to be my own. I'd track his every move, his every thought, and I swore on my soul that I would not let him turn me into something I didn't want to be! I breathed in the smoke, latched it onto my lungs. I willed the smoke towards me, to surround me and swallow me. And then, just as I had its control, I released a burst of red energy. It burned by eyes, hurt my fingertips as I exposed it, but for a moment, I thought it made my heart beat again. Red smoke met black, and I watched as they twined together, latching on and ceiling our fiery worlds. I felt heavy and violated, but I welcomed the connection with an embrace of determination.

And then I fled. I transported myself back to my body, breathless and feeling light once again. I bolted up from the trunk of the tree, gasping for air. I gripped the branch to keep from falling, and I was vaguely aware of Jack stirring. I paid no attention. In my head, I began to build a wall that only I could break. I'd prove Shifter wrong. I'd prove I was stronger. I'd prove I wasn't _bad! _

Brick by brick I built the wall, and I ignored the burning smoke now running through my veins.

_Brick, upon brick, upon brick, upon brick!_

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	17. Snap

**I love you guys! Right, I need a vote. In your reviews, I would like you to tell me what you think the relationship between Faye and Jack should be. You can tell the direction I was originally going in, but now it's your turn to decide if it should become official or simply hinted. I'd love to know! **

**Bit of a dark one at the end, be prepared!**

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Jack didn't see it coming. One moment he was in the snow, quietly snoozing as a way of ridding the images from the previous night. And the next? Well, he took a snowball to the face and a slide across the ice. For a moment, he thought that the creature had come back to attack him, or maybe Faye had turned on him, but he soon came to realise that it was Tooth. She slapped both cheeks, breathing with a panicked rhythm. He was slightly aware of the screaming going on in the background, but he was too busy trying to fend Tooth off.

"Knock it off!" he snapped.

"He's fine! Jack's fine!" she declared.

"Let go of me!" Faye? What the heck was going on? Tooth moved out of his way as he jumped to his feet, clenching his staff in defence due to his disorientation. Bunnymund and Sandy had Faye held captive, grasping an arm each to restrain her. She did little to fight them, which was so unlike her. As he let his eyes adjust, he actually saw the hurt and desperation in her eyes, and the looks of his fellow guardians was also something of denial. He withdrew his staff, for the look on her face begged him to do so. Something was... different. She looked darker, somehow, even though she was glowing a gentle grey.

"What are you doing?" he demanded off no one in particular.

"We came as fast as we could. North saw the attack." Tooth said, landing beside him and putting her hand on his shoulder. All was silent, and as furious as he was with Faye, he couldn't take his eyes off her small, frightened form before him. Sandy and Bunnymund had her bent over ever so slightly, and she craned her neck to keep their eyes locked. He should have been angry. He should have been loathing her right now. She'd abandoned Jamie! She'd left him to save her own skin! And yet the look in her eyes was haunting, and there was something sinister about them, too. As he stared, he could see why. Normally a vivid violet, they were now clouded with black. The black was like veins running through the stunning violet, like poison. And through that poison she begged him in silence, and it was a look that had never seemed more sincere.

"Let her go." he muttered, standing his staff up in his own surrender. The guardians didn't need to be told twice. They hastily released the rebel, who staggered forward and fell to her knees. Slowly, she looked up at him once again, and he was sure that there were tears in her shadowed orbs.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. Just as he was about to give a spiteful reply, a voice of innocence broke the tense air. Jamie came sprinting from the house into the garden, ducking through a gap in the fence to reach Jack and the others. Jack watched in shock as the child ran straight for Faye, crashing into her and wrapping his arms tightly around his neck and his legs around her abdomen. He first instinct was to get him away from the somewhat traitor, but all her could do was watch the confusion clouding Faye's face. The others were also tense, watching what she would do to such an assault. She just sat there, letting the boy hug the life out of her.

"Jamie." Jack said, beckoning the boy away. And to his astonishment, Jamie looked back at him with a look twisted with anger.

"You need to leave her alone!" he bellowed. He released the girl, storming towards Jack. The others met him on either side, looking down at Jamie with looks of utter shock. Jack was the most astonished! Jamie had yet to raise his voice to anyone, let alone him! But this was pure anger, his face red with fury and his jaw moving as he gritted his teeth. He pointed at each and every one of them, and then he plunged into a statement of defence.

"Don't you see? The reason she's so scared all the time is because she knows nothing else! You keep judging her, and you haven't even bothered to ask about her personal life! She's so cool! Her stories are awesome, if you'd just listen to them!"

"Listen, mate, things are more complicated than that." Bunnymund said, crouching down to all fours.

"You make them complicated!" the child yelled. "Have you even asked her about her childhood? She loved baking, especially chocolate chip cookies!"

"I knew that." Tooth said somewhat stubbornly. Jamie glared at her.

"Did you ask her or did you root through her teeth?"

Jack met the eyes of Faye. She stared back with an expression mirroring his own. Jamie was right. All Jack knew about her was the bad things, not the good. In fact, he knew next to nothing about her. He didn't know what her favourite colour was, or what she looked like as a human, or what her favourite season was. He had only just learnt of her surname! Through it all, who w_as _the new guardian? What hid behind those haunting eyes? What stories and secrets did she hide away from the world? It occurred to him that she didn't tell them things not because she didn't want to, but because they'd never had the decency to ask. It was foolish! As Faye had said so herself, they'd only dehumanized her. Inside, she was probably more beautiful than the night stars.

"Okay, Jamie." Jack murmured, looking down at the boy.

Brown met blue, and Jamie's eyes blurred with tears of anger. "Okay, what?" he snapped. Jack walked over to him and crouched, looking into his determined eyes. It was that spark, that fire, that Jack hoped would never disappear from the boy. It was the same spark he had once possessed along with his sister.

He thought back to when he had first spotted Jamie, back when he was seven. He'd been walking Abby, his dog, who had been just a puppy at the time. They'd been at this very pond, Jamie laughing as he wrestled with the puppy. Jack merely watched because he enjoyed watching kids have fun, with or without his help. But what he saw next stunned him. Abby started running around like a lunatic, and she ran onto the ice in the process. Although it was thick and safe, the animal panicked, her paws going this way and that. Jamie could have cried in fear being so young, or he could have ran to get his mother for help. But instead, a cloud of determination fell upon him. He'd called out to the dog, and slowly he walked onto the ice himself, not flinching or anything of the sort. He'd approached the panicking puppy, slowly picked her up, and then moved off the ice again. It was that simple act that had Jack watching over him ever since, along with the looks that had sparked something in his memory he couldn't place at the time.

It was selfish, but he also stayed around him because he reminded him of his sister.

Right now, Jack could see that same determination he had seen five years before. It was inspiring, really. The fact that he was protecting someone he barely knew, someone potentially dangerous, was thought provoking. Jamie saw something in Faye that Jack couldn't, and it made Jack want to feel that experience. He wanted to know Faye, but he found it hard to trust her. Maybe if Jamie could trust her, then so could he. It seemed like a risk, but it was risks that Jack loved the most.

He smiled at Jamie. "She's going to be okay, Jamie."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Right guys?"

They nodded. Jack then turned to Faye, who had her mouth closed at was staring at Jamie in awe. What was she thinking? Oh, what he would give to know. He imagined it was a dark place with a bright centre, and the light was the good she locked away. Why? To keep herself safe? Perhaps he'd never know, but oh how he wanted to! If her mind was as enticing as her eyes, he and any other man would have a field day.

He shook the thought from his head.

"I don't forgive you." he said, standing. She looked at him.

"I know."

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When Jamie left for school an hour later, Jack and Tooth walked with him. They were taking no chances after last night, and personally I didn't blame them. I would have gone too, for Jamie had practically begged me, but I couldn't work up the strength. I was weakened from my spinoff bonding session last night, and with the effort I made to keep _him _out, it added to my exhaustion. I had a pounding headache, and my vision stung beyond measure. The smoke was a part of me now, latching onto every cell and nerve, and it was a somewhat painful process when I was attached to the darkest entity of all. When Bunny and Sandy had grabbed me, I'd resisted the need to fight, but I wouldn't have been able to if I tried.

I kept seeing things that weren't there. Dead trees, demonic creatures and never ending wasteland. I was seeing things through his eyes, but it was ghostly and distorted. I knew I'd have to learn to block that out too, at least until I needed to see beyond this world. For now it was working, for all I focussed on was this world and nothing else. That was all the more tiring. I was taking the term multitasking to a whole new level. I was facing a burning sensation in my body, seeing a blur and two worlds tried to merge, trying to keep my eyes was latching shut, and all the while I was trying to act like nothing was wrong.

This was exhausting. How was I supposed to keep this up but bond with several others at the same time? I wasn't sure I could handle it! Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe _this _was my downfall... no. I couldn't think like that, I wouldn't! I swallowed down my anxieties and held my head high, begging my body to grow stronger all the while.

I wouldn't be able to tell the guardians. They wouldn't understand. They'd see it as a betrayal. They wouldn't understand what I was trying to do, what lengths I was going to. For the first time in my entire life, I was putting myself before myself. I was suffering, but not in punishment. I was suffering by choice. And honestly? It felt _good. _

We stuck around the pond for a while, and until Jack and Tooth returned, the remaining two stopped to 'keep me company', so in other words guard me. However, they let me do as I pleased, so what better than to go for a nap? I snoozed for a while by a tree, and when I woke up I heard them muttering to one another. I remained still and quiet, pushing away the invading blackness in my brain as the process of combined thoughts began. I heard things like "Dead" or "Escape", and an unnerving one was "Drain". I cringed, but blocked it all the same.

"Do you notice anything different about her?" Jack murmured. They were just a few feet away, so straining to listen consisted of very little effort.

"Faye? Yeah. I've got a bad vibe, but it's like it... I don't know..." said Tooth.

"Not from _her._" Bunnymund offered in her place. She mumbled in agreement.

"Do you think she's sick?" Tooth asked. I heard a noise that I can only describe as magical, and my only clue was that Sandy was showing his opinion through images.

"She does look tired, doesn't she?" Jack said.

"Exhausted, more like, mate."

"And what was with Jamie? I've never seen him so angry." Tooth murmured.

"Do you think they bonded?" said Jack.

"No, you saw her face when he hugged her, she looked emotionally scarred!" Bunny said.

Emotionally scarred wasn't the term. As I'd said, I felt no emotional connection to Jamie, and it was something I was working on. But to have his body crushed into mine and his limbs locking him to me was something of a surprise. For whatever reason, Jamie saw me in a different light. My stories had somehow inspired him, and I somehow felt guilty to not be able to return that. I wanted to, I did, but I had never had a connection remotely similar with a human. Animals, yes, but humans? Don't make me laugh!

"Crikey!" Bunny bellowed, pulling me from my thoughts. Barking ensured, and with it laughter. I opened my eyes and looked at them. Sure enough, a dog was racing out of the house and into the garden, jumping the fence and making a run at Bunnymund. The rabbit fled, running like a maniac that even had me giggling. I moved, crawling from the tree with aching limbs. The dog stopped mid sprint, spotting me, and suddenly it came running to me. Or more like she. Her snarls turning to yaps of joy at the sight of me, as if I were a magnet. She attacked me, licking my face and mauling me playfully in the snow. I burst out laughing, feeling the most relaxed than I had in twenty four hours.

"Hey Abby!" Jack cried, catching the animal's attention. He had a snowball in his hand, and I thought the dog's eyes might pop out. "Fetch!" He threw it towards the house, and boy did that animal bound after it! I stood, but I swayed slightly and my head panged. I gasped, pinching my nose.

"Hey... are you okay?" Tooth asked, and suddenly she was next to me, grasping my shoulders.

"I'm fine." I whispered.

_Damn you, Faye! _He screamed at me. _You'll pay for this! _

_Get out of my head! _I bellowed back. _This is what you wanted! _

I shoved him out with a great deal of effort, rebuilding the wall.

"Faye, you don't look so good." Jack murmured, and his face was in mine, his icy breath chilling my lips. Hands supported me, keeping me up, but my body weighed a tonne. If I could sweat, I would have been. "Hey, look at me. Faye, hey, come on, Faye, open your eyes."

"I'm fine." I said again, only it didn't sound like me. He doing all he could to hurt me. He tried to tear through the walls of my memory, attacked my cells with his, burning me up, ripping me apart. It hurt so badly! I couldn't see for he was blinding me with smoke, and Jack's face blurred away. Red and black, red and black, red and black. I felt myself fall, arms catching me, people bellowing my name for a response. I whispered someone's name, but I can't remember who's. I tried to fight him away, slashing at him and screaming for control, but the harder I tried the more drained I became. I did the only thing I could. I escaped the pain by clinging onto his presence, and before I knew it, my body was no longer my own and I began to assault his with ten times the passion.

I slashed through memories, I screamed bloody murder, I tore at cells and muscles. It wasn't long until he shoved me out, and it was a battle that no one was aware of. I snapped my eyes open, and for a moment I saw Jack hovering over me, presumably screaming for me to wake up. But then he vanished, and I began to watch something completely out of my comfort zone. He was laughing, forcing this before me as if it were a projection. As I watched, my heart sank to my stomach.

Mia, screaming in agony. This wasn't a memory, but an actual vision. This was happening now, this instant, and there was nothing I could do but watch it horror. He was in his wolf form, that much I got from his thoughts, but the rest I had to witness from his eyes. Mia was on her front, her wings spread wide. She screamed for help, even bellowed my name at some point, and all I wanted was to reply and help. But I couldn't. I watched as he bowed his jaws to the base of her delicate wings. I watched as his teeth clenched on, and I practically felt the pain she would have felt as he yanked one wing free from her back. I screamed with her, mentally and openly, as he did the same with the other. And then, a cord deep inside me snapped and shattered.

A bond, but not his.

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**Your thoughts? Sorry for the cliffy!**


	18. More Than Meets The Eye

**Wow, a lot of responses to that question! Hmm... thanks, you've helped me work up a plan to please both opinions, so thank you! This chapter focuses a little on Faye and Tooth, but the ending of the chapter is a bit of an eye opener to past events...**

**Enjoy, and thank you for all the kind words!**

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When I came to from the vision, Tooth was holding me against her on the ground. She was hugging me from behind, shushing me and slightly rocking me. Both of my hands were grasped on either side; Jack on my left, Sandy on my right. Bunnymund was lying on my legs, warming and crushing them at the same time. As I sobbed, I realised they were pinning me to the spot. A moment after, I realised I had been thrashing with no relenting. Exhausted and aching, I allowed myself to calm down, but the tears just wouldn't stop.

Mia. Mia was now wingless. All because of me she was now suffering at the hands of _him. _She didn't deserve that. She'd been there for me for years; she'd taught me to fly, she'd taught me a way of life, and for a short time she taught me the meaning of freedom. She was my friend, my sister. Through everything she had been there, her smile never faltering, her loyalty next to perfect. Like me, she wasn't perfect, but my God she was perfect to me!

I choked. I could feel the strands inside me breaking like elastic bands, each snap as painful as the last. I could feel myself draining and growing heavy, for the black smoke was spreading in their place. The pain spread from my toes and fingertips, moving in to my core. My heart. Pang, pang, pang. My heart seemed to lurch, and as if sealing the end, my body exploded in momentary agony. I screamed, jerking against the restraints of the guardians, who merely let me suffer in silence, seeing no other option. And then the pain died away, and I slacked from fatigue. Panting, I closed my eyes as fresh tears began to stream down my face.

My hands were released, my legs were exposed, but Tooth remained holding me tightly. Was it just me, or was she also crying? She kept murmuring sorry. All I could do was let her hold me and sob with her, and my first thought was that she knew what had happened. She knew I had gone through a breakage, as we called it. It was the agonizing moment of being released from a bond. It was rare, but it happened. It only ever happened to one way bonds, and the assaulted was normally the one who was bound, like me. Without me knowing, Mia had bonded with me, and now that her powers were lost, so was her ability to bond. That meant a whole five minutes of feeling as if your insides were being torn to shreds. It was horrible to witness and horrible to watch, especially if you knew what was happening, hence why Tooth was so shaken.

"I didn't know... she never told me..." I whispered, trying to control my breathing. Why had Mia never told me that we were linked? How could she not tell me? Then again, how had I not seen it? She'd been attached to my hip for a century up until two weeks ago. She had gone to exile with me willingly, not batting an eyelash at her inevitable fate. Apart from the odd miss, she protected me during my ten years there. She'd even got herself into a brawl in my defence! How could I have missed such a determination that could only mean one thing?

"Who's Mia?" Tooth whispered. I swallowed, and opening my eyes. Jack, Sandy and Bunnymund were crouched in front of us, their faces twisted with concern and fear. I gently pulled myself from Tooth's hold and moved forward onto my knees. I searched my mind, but it was empty. No shadows, no voices, just a hall of nothing. He was gone.

"You have to go back to the otherworld." I croaked.

"Say what?" Bunnymund said. I watched as his eyes bulged, along with three other pairs.

"Pix, we can't go back, it's too dangerous." Jack murmured.

"You have to! My friend is there, she's hurt! She needs me!" I begged. They looked unconvinced. "Please, I'm begging you! She's been in my life since 1912, she's done so much for me... she's like my sister! She needs my help... _our _help!"

"What happened to her?" Bunnymund demanded, frowning.

"She's had her wings torn out!"

"By who?" said Jack.

"_Trust me! _I know it's a big thing to ask, but please, she's not like me! She could help us! Come on, help me to help you!" I screamed, jumping to my feet. Tooth massaged my shoulders, and I could feel relief sweeping through me. At least she understood. For a moment, it was as if we were on the same page, fairy understanding fairy. She must have understood my desperation, or she wouldn't be as caring as she was then.

"I think we should do as she says, guys." she murmured. Looks were exchanged, shrugs were made, and a decision was made.

* * *

Tooth sat with me on the roof of a human family's house, enduring the long wait to see if they guys would be successful. They were to return to the North Pole to borrow the snow globe again, and they said that they would be back before sundown. Jack promised that everything would be okay, but I doubted it. Things were going downhill. It was clear now that Shifter was the key to the destruction soon to unfold, and I was the lock to that said key. He wanted us to join in order to unlock a world darker than life behind closed eyes, but as ruined as an apocalyptic setting. But now that I was resisting, he was going to any length to destroy me, and possibly force me under his wing. Even now I could feel his anger flaring, even though he knew he'd created a pile of damage already. He wanted me to suffer. But I could feel his undying need to have me under his control.

The transformation of our bond was still undergoing. The poison was spreading, taking over Mia's former place. It was bone chilling; I felt as if his claws were tracing my skin with that obsessively gentle touch. And there was something else happening to me. My fingertips tingled, and the sensation of chilled air ran through my fingers, up my arms and down into my chest. Power. That meant I _could _possess his power, and he could not have mine for I had none. It was satisfying and nerve shaking at the same time. I vowed with myself that I would not use this power, whatever it was, on anyone but himself. Beat him with his own energy, that would be a kick in the butt!

"Faye?" Tooth murmured.

"Yeah?"

"Who is Mia?" I sighed. She, of all people, deserved to know.

"She's been my friend since I... died. She taught me everything I needed to know about this life, and she went into exile with me even thought she was innocent." I told her softly, staring into the distance, out at the hills.

"I need to know something." she said after a while. I made a sound for her to continue. "What did you do to get exiled? North seems to be the only one who knows, and he refuses to tell us without your approval."

North? He was respecting my past by keeping his mouth shut? I looked at Tooth, and because she was of the same species, and she understood the pain I was going through now, I decided that she could be the first to know of my past. After all, it was a step closer to bonding with her in more ways than one.

"Okay." I breathed. " Okay. Well, I don't want you judging me now, for this happened ten years ago. I'm tired of being judged if you haven't already noticed." When I nodded, I jumped into the deep end without a life jacket.

"Mia and me had been passing through a small village one night. We were messing around, playing with fireballs and throwing them at one another to test our reflexes. It was just fun and games, and we enjoyed frightening the humans in the process. We never intended to hurt them. There were some kids, watching and shouting as they saw the fire flying through the air, not being able to see us of course. Mia and I enjoyed the attention we were getting. Some thought they were under attack, others thought that they were meteorites falling from the sky. It was funny, and we couldn't see anything dangerous about the situation.

"But then a ball went astray. Mia wasn't able to catch it in time, and it landed on the ground and caught fire to the grass. It happened too quickly. The fire spread within minutes, catching light to homes and the smoke growing thicker and thicker until it was nothing but a dark grey fog. The humans were running for safety, the children finding the safety of their mothers, the men going out to fight the flames. They all thought it was a natural disaster. We were perched in a tree nearby, watching in horror out our own mistake. I was watching something of a mirror image.

"Mia fled after a while and she begged me to come with her. I was about to when I saw a child trapped in a house, banging on the window and screaming for help. His house was aflame, and I could see that he was struggling to breathe. I didn't help him. I couldn't. I was frozen, frightened out of my mind, reliving a memory I'd hoped to never bring up again. But then North appeared, practically out of nowhere, from the woods. Of course the adults never saw him, so he was able to free the child from the house by smashing the glass. The boy never registered on who he was, simply screaming for his mother.

"I tried to flee then, but a couple of North's yetis had me ambushed. They pinned me to the ground and beckoned North over from the woods. I screamed, begging for mercy. I hadn't meant for the fire to happen, but he'd have none of it. He saw me as a threat to the children in the world, and decided that I was not safe to have free in the human world. He banished me, and upon those words, the Man in the Moon stripped me of my wings and powers. The yetis were about to throw me through the portal when Mia returned, insisting that it was an accident. But North ignored her, and I was thrown through. I remember Mia grabbing hold of my ankle, and together we wound up in exile."

She didn't say a word throughout. She simply watched me and absorbed my words, and her eyes blurred with tears.

"It was an accident." I croaked. "It wasn't supposed to happen."

Suddenly, she twined her fingers through mine. "I believe you." she whispered.

"Thank you." I murmured, and she hooked her elbow around my neck and pressed her feathery head to my shielded own.

"So you and Mia were bonded?" she asked.

"Apparently." I said and she frowned. I offered a weak smile. "No one is more confused than me."

For the next few hours, Tooth and I engaged in sharing stories, very much like Jamie and me had done the previous night. The difference was, she told me more about herself. As a human, she'd been a mother of three. This I was not surprised by. She also had had a love for hummingbirds which also made a lot of sense. She told me how she used to treat her children to coins when they lost their teeth, a somewhat reward for the painful process of losing teeth. Clearly this was why the Moon had chosen her to be the Tooth Fairy. But how she died upset me a little. She'd grown sick with an unknown disease, and there had been no cure. She'd left her husband widowed and her children without a mother, and for a while she resented the Moon for his choice. She was lost for a long time, and the Moon decided to guide her. He created the fairies that were now Tooth's assistants, and together she and the fairies created the grand Tooth Palace standing today. I asked if she ever visited her kids and husband, and she told me that she not only visited them, but watched them grow. Her husband remarried, and her kids grew to have children of their own. She got closure from it, and eventually she came to trust the Moon. She found North in the years to come, and then Sandy and then Bunnymund. They taught her what it meant to be a guardian, and they taught of her something called her "centre".

"What's a centre?" I asked.

"It's what you represent. I represent memories, North represents wonder, Sandy is obvious, Bunnymund is hope, and Jack is fun. It's what makes us who we are." she explained.

"So... what's my centre?"

"Only you can answer that, dear."

After a while, we saw something in the distance. Tooth flew be from the roof and into the confinements of the woods, away from any prying eyes of children who believed. My heart was in my throat, and I began to pace as we waited for them to rejoin us. To my immense joy, Jack had Mia in his arms, flying towards us on his staff with Sandy by his side. Mia looked limp and weak, but from here I could see her smiling. Bunnymund emerged from the ground, and right behind him was North, pulling himself through the ground with great effort. I was surprised he hadn't come on his reindeer, but then the answer was obvious. They would need to be saving their energy in the run up to Christmas Eve.

"Mia!" I screamed. Jack landed, gently placing my friend on the ground. I sprinted to her, and practically tackled her in a hug. She choked on a laugh, clinging to me with the same reunion. She was glowing a gentle white as was I, and for a while we just hugged the life out of one another.

"Thank you." I whispered over her shoulder, looking at the guardians. Jack smiled and nodded, whereas Sandy tipped an imaginary hat to me and Bunnymund winked. North simply grinned, looking at Tooth and sharing a look of something I couldn't understand. But I didn't care. For a moment, I was happy.

* * *

"So what's going on?" Jack asked me and Mia. We were in a meadow, sitting in a patch of grass that Jack's snow had missed due to tree cover. Mia refused to leave my side, constantly trembling. Earlier, Jack had borrowed a blanket from Jamie. Mia complained of the burning in her back, saying it was like nothing she had ever experienced. So Jack wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and froze it, and the sigh of bliss that fell from Mia's lips was more than blissful to hear.

"There's something bigger happening than just the exiled growing stronger." Mia told him fluently, despite her trembling.

"Like what?" North said.

"There's a plan in all this." she said. "There's an entity who plans on bringing back the Dark Ages. He wants to feed on the life of humans, and he wants to turn the world into a dark place. That means he's after you."

"Who is he?" Bunnymund demanded, the venom evident in his voice.

"He doesn't have a name. He's a shifter. He had no real form or identity; he's just a black mass of smoke. And he's strong, stronger than any of you put together."

"Why'd he rip your wings out?" Jack demanded. She flinched, but answered nonetheless. She looked at me and back at them.

"He wants Faye." she said simply. "You have to think of something. He's going to be angry you got me out of there, and when he gets out completely you need to get Faye somewhere safe. You don't know it, but you have a strong weapon here. She's your best chance, and if you lose her, you lose everything."

"Me?" I whispered. She looked at me, her blue eyes somehow pitiful.

"Yes, you. The Moon won't have chosen you for no reason, Faye. Only you can defeat him. Whatever it is, there's something special about you that makes you stronger than anyone. Until you figure out how to get your powers back, you need to keep your head down."

How did she know this? She spoke without thinking about it, the words flowing from her mouth as if it had been year's worth of knowledge. I began to suspect that there was more to her; after all, she had hidden the fact that she had bonded with me for a century. She was hiding something from me, and now I knew that we hadn't met by chance. My gut told me that the Man in the Moon had something to do with it.

Later, when we were left alone to get reacquainted, I demanded exactly what I wanted to know.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I said. She clasped my hands and sighed, dipping her head and looking at me through her long lashes.

"I bonded with you years before you became this, Faye." she told me. "You were eight, and it was just after your father died. The thing is, we all have our specific power. Your favourite was fire, right?" I nodded, but inside I was barely keeping up. She'd bonded with me when I was a child? I began to wonder if I really knew Mia for who she was. "Well, that was your destined power. It's obvious why. But you know I couldn't control the elements." True, she couldn't. She was all for the mind tricks and the flying. "Instead, I had the power of seeing the future."

My heart felt like it was a brick. "Wha... what?"

"I knew what was going to happen to you, Faye. I knew when you were going to die, how you'd die. I knew what you'd become, all from the very moment I sealed the bond with you. The only time I missed telling the future was the night we got exiled, but I never even bothered looking. I was careless, and I got you here. But I saw that the guardians were coming for you. That's why I left you when I did. You _needed _to be taken, it was your destiny."

I stared at her, lost for both thoughts and words. She clenched my hands tighter. "I'm sorry, but the Moon has everything planned for you, you just need to go in the right direction. He spoke to me, told me to bond with you, and recently he told me that now was the time you learned the truth."

"The... Moon? He put you up to this?" I began to wrench my hands free, feeling betrayed. How could she? She was supposed to be my friend!

"Faye, listen to me! There are bigger things happening here than you know. Our bond is broken now, I can't see your future anymore. That's why he tore my wings out, because he found out about the bond. He could feel it, from the moment you bonded with him."

"You know?" I whispered.

"Yes, I saw it happen minutes before. Faye, he's coming for you. You've driven him insane, and he's going to hurt you and these new friends you've made. Before I lost my wings, I was just able to see how much time you had left."

"How long?"

"Until Christmas Eve. By one minute past eleven, the world will go dark."

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**Review!**


	19. Insight

**Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update last night, I was babysitting until very late unfortunately. But I'm back, and guess what? Christmas is in less than 4 days! Yaaay! Hope you guys have started the countdown because I sure have! **

**Anyway, enjoy! :D**

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I needed air. Even though I was outside, this place felt polluted. It was heavy with the reliance of everyone else, and breathing it in seemed to poison me all the more. Mia was cruel. She'd been holding out on me, playing dumb for over a century, and now I had the weight of humanity sitting on my shoulders. How could _I _protect humanity? It never protected me, and call me petty, but why should I stick my neck out for the thousands who had no idea of my existence? Besides, I was powerless. I was grounded and useless, and let's face it; bonding wasn't going to keep the bad away. Sure, I could get their powers, but the bond had to be returned and it was also a long process. I didn't have long. I had less than two weeks.

I slinked away from Mia, who had nothing left to say. Her face was full of pity and guilt, and as I left she reached for my arm. I stiffened when her hand wrapped around my skin, and in seconds her hold was slack. I stumbled into the woods, and honestly I had never felt more alone. I couldn't have everyone relying on me only to be disappointed. It was too much to handle. In recent days, I'd learned the meaning of what it was to fight again, but I could only take it one step at a time. I needed time to form friendships and trust, and I needed to understand the day and age of humanity itself. I needed to _feel _something for them. I couldn't put my neck on the line for people that meant nothing to me. I needed that passion, and up to yet, I felt no such thing.

When I was away from the group, I sunk to the ground. I looked at my hands in dismay. My skin was darker with the poison, his energy finally connecting to every nerve of my being. I closed my eyes and did all I could think I could do. I had to try. Even if I couldn't fight, I had to try and find the passion before it was too late. Perhaps his plans could help. If I felt something, _anything, _negative to what he had planned, that might just be it. So I travelled to his mind, and this time, I had every intention I finding out something useful.

His mind was guarded, for he had built his own brick wall. A thick fog circled his memories and thoughts, intoxicating and lethal. It should have frightened me and shooed me away, but it couldn't be any worse than the stuff running through my veins. Holding my breath, I pushed through it. I felt a force pushing against me, trying to drive me out with a passion of its own, but I was in no mood to back down. So I fought fire with fire. I let the black substance leak from my finger tips and merge with the wall before me, and with great effort, I forced it to part and passed through with no more than a blink. Determined, angry and most of all overwhelmed, I suppose it made me a little stronger.

The memories were less jumbled this time around. They were a little more ordered, images less demanding to be seen. I was able to think straight now, without the screams of the past deafening and disorientating me. I watched them blink slowly before me, taking a deep breath as I tried to pick out something relevant. They were a mix of what had happened and what he wished to happen, and I decided to go with the solid memories rather than the twisted fantasies.

I reached for an image I could tell was from the past. The Dark Ages, to be exact. I needed an insight of what I was supposed to prevent. From what glimpses I got in this, it was bone chilling. Mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. They all looked so... empty. The sky was black and foggy, and everything was in ruin. I was looking at a setting that was all woodland, and there was fire everywhere. But nobody screamed. In fact, it was ghostly silent, and everyone just simply stared at nothing in particular. They seemed devoid of spirit, like their souls had been taken from them and leaving behind an empty shell.

The image shifted, and then I was looking through his eyes. A child, a girl, stared up at him. I couldn't place it, but she reminded me of Sophie. Her fringe was overgrown, her skin smooth but mucky, and her eyes were huge with curiosity. It had to be the fringe, despite the light brown hair. Her lips were parted, and I was able to see his energy slither towards her. My gut twisted as it travelled into her mouth and down her throat. She didn't gag or even blink, but a moment later, she took a large intake of breath. And then the smoke pulled back as she fell to her knees, and the curiosity died from her eyes. They glassed over, and she became as empty as the others.

I pulled myself from the memory in disgust.

The next memory was something else entirely. It must have been before the Dark Ages, for everything was bright and beautiful. And he was flying, which was an oddity to me. He could fly, yes, but only slowly and gracefully. This was neither. He soured like lightening, zooming through tree branches and doing constant spins and loops, and as I connected myself further into the memory, I was able to attach myself to the emotions and physical feelings that linked to the image. It was here that I felt my gut lurch with surprise.

Wings.

He didn't have wings, but here he did, for I could feel the lightning fast speed of them as they powered from his back. I could have lost myself, pretended that his body was mine, and the temptation was a practical slap in the face. The only thing that stopped me was his emotions. He was angry. I dug deeper, and I found out that in fact, he hated what he was. He hated his wings, his powers, and all he wanted was blood pumping from his heart. The word _human _was a common thought, too.

Startled, I plunged myself from the memory, from his mind, and back into my body. Panting, I gripped my knees to stop from trembling and clenching my eyes shut was all that seemed safest.

"Faye?" I jumped, looking up.

"Jack! You scared me." I said. He was standing before me, looking down at me with concern written all over his face. Of course, he had his staff in hand, like a spear for a warrior ready to go into battle. I eyed it, frowning.

"Why do you always hold that?" I asked.

"You never know when you might need it." he answered simply. My frown deepened.

"Do you think you need it now?" I said. He looked at me bleakly, and then to his staff. Then, to my utter surprise, he extended his arm to his side and dropped it, as if to answer my question. And then he walked further towards me, falling to his own knees and looking at me through his lashes. I smiled, stifling a laugh of genuine surprise. Dropping my head I stared at my knees.

So much had happened to me. I'd been kidnapped, locked in an ice dome, escaped to Burgess, figured out I could bond, bound myself to Shifter, and also finding out that the fate of the planet sat in my hands. And yet something as simple as dropping a staff with the power over winter had me surprised. Amazing! I guess I never thought I could be trusted again. Having that privilege was equivalent to a footballer winning a trophy. It had to be earned and treasured, but I wasn't sure if I deserved that yet.

"Is everything okay?" Jack asked. Oh, if only he could get an insight to my head, which was of course the initial plan.

"No." I murmured. "Everything's messed up."

"I know, but what I mean is, are you feeling okay? You looked a little more off colour than usual." he said hesitantly.

"I have?" I said dumbly. He couldn't find out, there was no way he could find out.

"Your eyes are huge, Faye, so they kind of give a lot away." he chuckled, which quickly died. "Your eyes are nearly black. You look ready to throw up all the time, and the whole fainting thing gave us a scare."

"That wasn't fainting, that was a breakage. There's a difference." I said, meeting his eyes. He nodded, as if he understood which was obviously a lie. I rolled my eyes, but was suddenly alert when a serious frown clouded his expression.

"I need to know something." he said. I tensed. "You said you didn't know Mia bonded with you. So if that's true... how did you know it was her bond breaking, and that her wings had been ripped out?"

Oh, man. I dropped my face into my hands fighting back tears that were reflecting many emotions. I heard him mutter something of surprise, and I realised that my colour changing was unstable. Red, black, blue and even grey. I'd might as well have been a Christmas light.

"It's complicated." I groaned.

"I can tell." he responded. Suddenly, an icy hand cupped the back of my neck, making me jump yet again. Jeez, I needed to get a grip! He scooted forward some more and pulled on my neck, and before I knew it his forehead was pressed against the shield over my own. I gripped his arm, intending to push him away, but I also knew better. Jack was one to also never give up, annoyingly so. I shivered with his touch as he cupped his other hand around my neck, too.

"Whatever's going on, we're here for you. You know that, right?" he said, his eyes set in stone. "Sometimes we might not show it, but that's just natural instinct. You have your problems, we have ours. But you're a guardian, and we're in this together. Don't ever think we'll abandon you, Pix, never."

I stared at him, tears brimming my eyes. I couldn't answer. His words were so sincere and holding so much truth it was more than I could take. So instead, I cupped the back of his neck with my own hands, and for a while we just sat there, forehead against forehead. We weren't sealing a bond, no, but a promise. A promise that we wouldn't hold out on one another. A promise that we'd fight, and we'd do it together.

That was stronger than any bond.

* * *

Later, I sat with Jamie. I refused to talk to Mia in the fear that she would drop another bombshell on me, and Jack and the others were busy scouting the world for any signs of danger. I had no idea where Mia was. So Jamie was my only useful company, and he happily allowed me to shelter in his room until he fell asleep. After an hour of none stop talking which I was somehow comfortable with, he dozed off.

I was chewing on some cookies at the foot of his bed, some he had snuck from the kitchen for me. I hadn't eaten in far too long! They weren't as nice as North's, but they were still mouth watering. It was when I was on my last cookie that the door creaked open, and too my alarm, Sophie stumbled in. She looked drowsy, rubbing her eyes and carrying a stuffed rabbit under her arm. She was mumbling "bunny" over and over, and then her eyes landed on me.

I expected her to shout or cry, as we hadn't gotten off at the best of terms. But instead she gave a huge, lazy smile and hobbled over to me. I stiffened, pressing my cookie into my mouth in order for her not to steal it. But she wasn't interested in the cookie. Her eyes were latched onto mine. I was sitting with my legs crossed, and she stumbled into the space between. She rumbled and then giggled, and her enormous eyes met mine again.

Her hand touched the metal plating of my cheek. "Faye, Faye." she said. I swallowed. She giggled again, and brushed her hand against my lips. Crumbs fell to the floor, and I was numb with the actual fact she'd said my name with the sweetness of a kitten.

"Faye, Faye." she said again.

"Um... hi?" I said awkwardly. She giggled a third time. She cupped my face and nuzzled my nose with hers, her breath warm on her face and her skin just as soft as mine. Instantly, the image of the brunette girl jumped into my mind. I gasped, alarmed, and my arms wrapped themselves around Sophie's tiny form with protection. I couldn't comprehend what I had done, but I found myself unwilling to let go. She yawned, snuggling her head into the feathery mane of my chest, using it as a pillow.

After a few minutes, she was dead to the world, her breathing becoming even and her body going slack. I simply held her, unwilling to let her go. But as I clung to her body, something entered my own through my fingers. It felt soft and light, the opposite of the energy plaguing me. It ran beneath the skin of my fingers, up my arms and down from my shoulders, into my chest. I gasped, stunned, as I felt _my _unique energy leaving me, the red pulling free from the black and entering Sophie. As I felt a jolt in the spot of my heart, I gasped, and Sophie jerked in her slumber at the exact same time before slacking once again.

I buried my face in her hair. It had been right to go into his memories. For whatever reason, that little girl had struck something in me. Sophie didn't deserve that fate, and that girl hadn't deserved it. And even though Sophie had annoyed me previously, she for some reason had grown a spot for me in her little heart. My first thought was Jamie telling her my stories, which made me smile. If Sophie had room in her heart for me, then I sure as hell was giving her room in mine.

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	20. Liabilities

**Chapter 20! Thanks again you guys, over 100 reviews! Never saw that coming! :D And yes, Faye did indeed bond with Sophie! :D**

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Jack and Sandy landed on the window sill of Jamie's window the following morning. Jack had expected to see Faye under provided blankets and her head resting on a pillow on the floor. He even thought of the possibility of seeing Jamie asleep beside her. But this he did not expect.

She was indeed asleep on her side, minus the bedding accessories. However, wrapped tightly in her arms was none other than Sophie. Her babyish face was snuggled in her chest, a thumb lodged in her mouth as she slept. In unison, Jack and Sandy's eyes widened in disbelief. They we so absorbed in the sight before them that they hadn't noticed that Jamie was awake, also grinning at the scene before him.

"She snuck in last night." he said, making the two guardians jump. Faye stirred slightly as did Sophie, but both did not wake. They looked so content together. It reminded Jack of many times his sister had done something similar to this. If she was frightened or had had a nightmare, she stumbled blindly into his room and slipped under the blankets of his bed. She'd wrap his arms around her, and he would wake up the following morning extremely confused as to how she got there in the first place. She'd tell him that she got scared, and that being with Jack helped her sleep. Had Sophie gotten scared for some reason? No, that kid was fearless.

Jack entered the room, followed by Sandy who closed the door. "Why'd she come in?" he asked.

"She was looking for Bunnymund, I think. Kept saying "bunny"." Jamie said, chuckling quietly. Sandy stared at Jamie, and silently tried to communicate. An image of Faye and Sophie floated above his head, the little girl chasing Faye with a look of anger, and Faye was carrying North's snow globe. Jamie covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"I've been telling her the stories Faye told me. She loves them, especially the flying ones. She walks around the house saying "Faye, Faye" all the time, and mom thinks she's acting weird when she pretends to fly." he laughed again. "She loves her."

Jack smiled to himself. Of course Sophie would be her downfall. She even had Bunnymund giving the googly eyes, and he was one of the toughest spirits he had had the pleasure of tormenting. Even though she was just eight months older since the battle with Pitch, she had grown in more than just height. Her character was growing. She was a determined little mite, but she was also the most loving little girl Jack had had the joy of watching grow up. He could tell that if she was given the right reasons, she could love anyone, and it was love that Faye needed in her life.

"Thanks, Jamie." Jack said, watching the two. There was no way that Faye would be that affectionate towards someone without a special ingredient. Thanks to Jamie, Faye had done something beyond her control but for the greater good of Sophie's welfare.

"For what?" he asked, confused. Faye hadn't told him?

"Do you not know about bonding?" he asked him, frowning slightly. Slowly Jamie shook his head. Sandy and Jack drifted towards the boy, sitting on either side of him. Jamie bit his lower lip in anticipation, and Jack could practically feel the concentration he was building to take in what he was about to be told.

So Jack told him what Tooth and Faye had told him. He explained what it meant for her kind to bond and what effect it had on them. It was something that they had little control over, and it gave them a purpose. He told the story of how Faye somehow bonded with the reindeer, and that animals were the easiest creatures to have a connection with. However, Jack was yet to learn why this was.

"So what are you saying?" Jamie asked after getting to grips with this new information.

"I think she's bonded with Sophie." Jack answered. Jamie's eyes switched between his brother like idol and the arms his sister was enclosed in. Jack watched as he comprehended this, and slowly a grin broke through his lips.

"So she'll keep her safe?" Jamie asked. Jack nodded, also smiling along with Sandy, who was playing with his golden sand. "Do you think she'll bond with me, or you guys?" he went on to say. Jack hesitated. Honestly, he wasn't sure. As far as he knew, she had no intention in doing that. He was sure that her bonding with Sophie was an accident, but he wasn't going to tell Jamie that. He'd like to think she would, but whether she would was a different matter. Finally he sighed.

"It's more complicated than that, kiddo." he murmured. His face sank, and Sandy patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Just give it a little time."

Too bad Jack didn't know he didn't have time.

* * *

"Wakey wakey..." someone said, tapping my arm. I groaned, and my arms tightened on what I thought would be Sophie, but instead they fell through air. My eyes shot open, and I gasped with a panic. "Whoa, easy there, Pix." I had bolted up right, smacking my head into Jack's by accident. I groaned again and rubbed my eyes, the panic dying when I realised it was just him. But where was Sophie? I looked around the room, and to my relief she was sitting in Jamie's lap, clapping her hands and laughing. I sighed.

It was now that I realised how light I felt. With her energy in my blood, it relieved the tension in the smoke. And I also felt as I should have done. I had been resisting the need to fall to his bond, for I just needed it to work against him. I refused to devote myself to him. That was why I was so tired all the time, for I was fighting against my very nature. But now that I had bonded with Sophie, I didn't need to fight so hard. She was pure and bright, and light always won against the dark. And genuinely I wanted to keep her from suffering the same fate as the girl from the memory. I was _willing _to devote myself to her, because her love meant more to me than anything. Love was stronger than hate, and when you were on the receiving end of it, it filled you with something everyone needed. Hope. Her affection last night must have triggered it, as not even Mia had been that affectionate to me, hence why I never bonded with her.

Looking at the girl, I succumbed to her emotions. She was happy. No, not happy, but ecstatic. Her heart was racing with happiness, and I smiled. I was happy that she was happy. She squealed then, pointing at me. I was momentarily confused, but then I realised that I was glowing a vibrant pink. Even I gasped. I had never shone this colour before, and I mean never!

"What does pink mean?" Jamie asked, smiling. I smiled back.

"I'm sure you can figure it out." I told him. Jack helped me to my feet, grinning as he did. I realised that Sandy was also in the equation, and the image above his head told us everything. A love heart. He smiled fondly at me, and all I could do was return that smile.

Sophie began to squirm in Jamie's hold, and she suddenly launched herself from the bed. My instinct was simple enough. I held out my arms, gasped as he body collided with mine. Like Jamie had, she wrapped her limbs around me so tightly I found it hard to breathe. I staggered back slightly. My heart, although still, throbbed with returning affection, so I simply clung to her embrace.

"Faye, we need to go." Jack said. I glanced at him. "To figure out a plan." he added.

I nodded. "Okay." I padded to Jamie's bed and placed Sophie on it, who whined in protest. It was now that I saw a look in Jamie's eyes that hurt even me. Dismay. It didn't take a genius to know that he understood what was going on; Jack must have told him. The look in his eyes asked a question I wished deeply I could answer. Why weren't _we _bonded? It was a question we both wanted to know. Jamie was growing on me, that was true, but why didn't I feel as affectionate to him as I now did to Sophie? I wanted to know so badly. I wanted him to know I hadn't intended on connecting myself to his sister. He was hurt, and for once, it wasn't officially my fault.

Gently, I cupped his cheek with my palm. I guess I hoped that I'd connect with him there and then, but to no avail. There had to be a reason why. I'd had a lot more to do with Jamie; he'd taken the most interest in me, had looked out for me when he shouldn't have, so why couldn't I bond with him?

I thought of Sophie. The affection she gave me was something of a shock and openly welcomed. And yet I obviously felt no affection for Shifter, as it was hate and determination that had sealed that bond. Affection and hate, so very different and yet ending with the same result. The bond needed to be sealed with something powerful. So if Jamie's wasn't affection, then what was it? I should have known this. I mean, it was my nature for crying out loud! But then again I had never bonded with people before. If anything, I was on the same page as the others in this situation.

"I'll see you later, Jamie." was all I said. His sad eyes met mine and he nodded, slightly turning his face into my palm. I sighed. I'd talk to him later. He deserved some kind of explanation, even if it wasn't a good one.

* * *

We found Mia in a tree a mile away from Jamie's house. This was enough to set me on edge. I kept tabs on Sophie, and it was somewhat unintentional now. You couldn't fight instinct, no matter how recent it was. I let her emotions plunge into my mind, just for the comfort that she was happy and safe. I tried to get to grips with this new side of me. I needed to somehow control this, too, as I had a reputation to keep. Shifter couldn't find out about Sophie, or Jamie for that matter, as I could only imagine what he would do. I concentrated of keeping his bond far away from hers, and I built the walls in my mind to extra heights. He was there, nibbling away at the boundaries, and I could feel his impatience and frustration mounting every hour.

Mia looked at us from the tree. It was me, North and Bunnymund, as the others had gone to "escort" Jamie and the kids to school. Her eyes met mine, but I showed no emotion towards her. I was angry. Who wouldn't be? She'd kept secrets from me my entire immortal life. I was also annoyed with the Moon, for he had been planning things behind my back, even though he was the one who took my wings and powers and also punished me with his silence. He _still _hadn't spoken to me now that I knew the truth! That was enough to annoy anyone!

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You're gonna help us, missy, and you're gonna help us now." Bunnymund said.

"What do you want me to do?" she demanded, looking annoyed. I glared furiously at her.

"You owe them, Mia. And you owe me." I spat.

"I told you. You need to hide Faye until she gets her powers back." she said. "There's nothing else you can do."

"I'm not going into hiding! I know where my liabilities lay, Mia, and it's not in hiding." I said. Her eyes widened slightly, and then she frowned. She knew something had changed in me. She knew that had she said this a week ago, I would have gladly gone into hiding without looking back.

"There's nothing I can do, Faye." she said simply. I glared daggers at her. Kneeling down, I gathered a ball of snow and pushed it together. She wasn't looking at me, having turned her head away with stubbornness. Lifting up my arm, and prepared to throw it.

"There's one thing you can do." I said. She looked at me, about to speak, but before she could the ball of snow met her face. She shrieked, tumbling out of the tree. Bunnymund laughed openly and even North stifled a chuckle despite himself. I looked at him and he winked, making me grin. She complained loudly on the floor, staggering to her feet and stumbling over to me.

"You deserved that." I said.

"How so?"

"Figure it out."

Although we didn't come up with a plan, we did manage to get her to agree fighting alongside us. At the end of the day, her bond with me was broken, and she no longer had a liability to me. She had lost her need to be with me, and with it her need to fight in my honour. It probably wasn't her fault, but I wasn't going to let her stoop to my level. Like everyone else, she had judged me and believed me to be a coward. Well, now she was being a coward, and there was no way I was letting her get away with it. As far as I knew, we needed all the help we could get. As I said, she owed me.

Later, she cornered me at the fence of Jamie's house. "If you think you can play the big hero, you're about to be disappointed." she said.

"I'm not trying to be a hero, Mia, I'm just tired of being who I am." I told her.

"You need to hide, Faye. The Moon told me so." she said, gripping my shoulder. I snatched her wrist and held her arm up above her head, glaring as I twisted her arm slowly but painfully. She whimpered.

"Maybe it's time you started thinking for yourself." I sneered.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I've done, I am!" she cried. "But you're too important to lose!"

"Then maybe I should find out why." I said, pushing her away. She stumbled, gasping as she gripped her arm.

"This is no time to be experimental, Faye. Maybe you're trying to chase away your demons, face the past, whatever, but that _thing _has the weirdest infatuation with you. You won't be able to beat him. You've bonded with him, and that doesn't help. Run while you still can, because that was exactly what I was planning on."

"Aren't you ashamed?" I said. "Aren't you tired of being the race representing cowardice? All we ever do is run away from stuff we can't fight. We're scared of becoming like Poppy because she lost her life doing good. But guess what? She was happy, because she put herself before others. I want to do that. I want a reason to live like she had, and if I end up getting killed then so be it. You went into exile with me, but now I know you never wanted to, you just had no choice. Now that our bond is broken, would you go back there with me now?"

No answer.

"Exactly. If I were you, Mia, I'd go out and find out why you exist, because I'm beginning to think that I'm not the reason." And with that I left her there, finding my own tree to settle in as I waited for Jamie and Sophie to return home.

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	21. Up And Down

**Chapter 21! Enjoy!**

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Jack was asleep in the tree opposite my own. I watched him dose off, his legs hanging over the branch, his arms hugging his staff. It was easy to see that he was exhausted, for the shadows under his eyes were darker than usual against his pale skin. Tooth had returned to the Tooth Palace to check that everything was in order, the same for Bunnymund to his warren and North for his own palace.

Sandy was sitting with me, playing around with images between his hands. I looked at the things he created, mesmerized. A dolphin, a butterfly, a fearless tiger and simple patterns of his creation. When I reached out to touch the images, they simple fell apart into sand grains, which amused him slightly as he gave silent laughter. I enjoyed his company. Out of all the guardians, he was the one that had been there for me as a child. He gave me dreams and fought away the nightmares, and when I woke up, just that minute of peace was enough to get me through the day. That was why I was hurt when he wouldn't speak to me upon my return after my momentary escape. Despite everything, he'd shown me kindness, and to have him sitting up here with me was enough to keep me content.

The sun was going down. Jamie's mother had tucked both him and Sophie in for the night, and I could feel the child falling into the world of her own dreams. It had been a few days since I had bonded with her. Mia had vanished, and although my words to her were true, I still had a spot in my heart that missed her. When I found out she'd fled, I was angry. She was supposed to be fighting by our side, but instead, despite my speech, she ran for the hills. North had offered to track her down, but with a little thought I declined. If she was going to be selfish then let her, karma would only track her down. I should know.

I'd spoken to Jamie the night of the argument with Mia. He'd come home with Jack, babbling about a school fight and how he'd managed to keep the peace between the two offenders. Jack had been smiling proudly at him, ruffling his hair as they turned into his driveway. I was going to chat with him after he'd had his dinner, but then a group of children called round asking if he wanted to play. Apparently, he didn't have school the following morning, and it was something called a weekend where they had two days off. He'd met my gaze when I was about to walk up to him, but then got distracted as his name was called. Five children came running up to him, circling him and demanding a snowball fight. Even though I was in open view, they didn't see me of course. So I watched them run off down the street, but before I could feel disappointed, Jack and Bunnymund got me engaged in our own snow battle.

But later on when the boy came home, he came looking for me. He met me around the back of the house, sitting at the base of a tree. He didn't hold back on what he wanted to know.

"Why aren't we bonded?" he'd asked, coming to join me. "You've known me longer than Sophie, and I've been nice to you, so why haven't you bonded with me?"

"I'm working on it." I'd told him.

"Don't you like me?"

"It doesn't work like that, Jamie." I explained. "Unless we try really hard, bonding is uncontrollable. There has to be some kind of link between the two, something that triggers it. I've heard of my kind bonding with someone they despised before." I said, not being entirely truthful. After all, that last point was something I'd recently discovered was possible.

"Then how did Sophie trigger it?" he asked.

"Through affection, I guess." I murmured, sighing. "Believe it or not, I understand this as much as you do." He'd nodded, absorbing this, and then gave a sheepish smile.

"I thought you hated me for a sec."

"I've never hated you, Jamie. I've never hated any of you guys." I'd said, startled. I had come off strong, but in all honestly, I'd never hated him or any of the guardians. Not even North. If I had, I would have done all I could to fight and get away, and when I looked back on it, my resistance was only half hearted. Through my anger was fear. They'd taken me from the only thing I knew before I could think straight, and had thrown information on me that I couldn't comprehend. I only attacked them the way I did out of fright and confusion. But I never _hated _them. I only had room for one being that I wanted dead, and my hatred for him was indescribable. I loathed him that much I bonded with him, just to try and beat him at his own game. I did the impossible, locking myself to him when my body had never wanted that result. It was amazing what hatred could make you do.

I'd tipped Jamie's chin up to look at me. "You forget that I come from a dark place. When we met, I was still angry with things from the past, and I was scared. But hate is a strong word."

He'd nodded and leaned into my side, shivering. "Okay."

Then I'd ordered him to bed, which he did with a little hesitation. I watched him enter the house, and for whatever reason my eyes travelled to the roof. Jack had been up there, a smile on his face. I smiled back, and no words needed to be said as that silent exchange spoke a million words.

A couple of days after that, Shifter entered my thoughts.

_Time is running short, dearest Faye, and we will be together again. _He'd cooed to my thought, breaking through a single brick just to utter those words. As bone chilling and promising they sounded, I simply smiled to myself and spoke back to him. I may have softened, but when he was thrust into the equation, I was stronger than ever especially when I had something worth protecting.

_And when we meet again, you are going to regret ever crossing me. _I'd spat. He merely chuckled and I planted the brick in his place once more. That same night, when I was alone and for once at ease, I spoke to none other than the Moon. Again he was watching me with vigilance, perhaps assessing me. I was still annoyed with him, but through all this, he had a plan for me. For _us. _After everything, I thought I was beginning to pick out the pieces of his plan. He wanted me to change. For whatever reason, he still saw good in me, and making me go through the worst could perhaps bring out the best. Truthfully, it was working. Had you told me I would bond with a human child a month ago, I would have laughed my socks off. I suppose he was giving the term 'you have to start from the bottom to climb to the top' a whole new outlook.

"I wish you'd tell me what I have to do." I'd said. "Even a clue would be nice. I've stopped the whole charade of being bad, I've let my guard down, I've let your guardians into my life, I've bonded with both pure and poisoned... what else is there to do?"

I never expected a reply, of course, so imagine my surprise when he said, _Faith. _Just one word, so simple, and yet I couldn't hold back the tears of joy falling down my cheeks the moment he spoke to me. I thought I'd heard things, but his voice sounded so clear and wise, just like I remembered it. From his voice, something in my heart was mended. After years of shattered dreams and a broken heart, with each passing day I could feel myself being repaired. I was like a China Doll; when broken, I could still be fixed, and although the scars would be there forever, that didn't mean I was useless. You learn from your mistakes, and the memories of my past would always be reminders of why I should steer clear from the dark path. What he meant by faith I was yet to find out. He gave me nothing else to go by, but that one word was enough to work on.

Sandy and I watched the sun come up together. He slumped against me, falling asleep. After showing me his own little images, he went to work for the rest of the night and planted dreams into the children's minds. I couldn't stop grinning, reaching out to the golden vines he created. I imaged flying among them, racing and dodging them through the night sky, and I thought that maybe one day, that vision could become a reality.

* * *

More days passed, and nothing happened. No more bonding, no more unwanted visits from _him, _and not a word from the Moon. However, I wasn't at ease on this day. Time was running in a blur, and I soon realised that I had just four days left. The others didn't have a clue, so my pacing and impatience had them all on edge. Four days. Four days! I was no closer to getting back my wings or my powers, and the danger that fell upon Sophie and the others was mounting on my shoulders.

"Pix, what's going on?" Jack asked, coming up beside me and grasping my shoulder. I wouldn't look at him. We were in a meadow, Tooth hovering with Sandy, clasping his hand with nerves. Bunnymund had Sophie on his shoulders, him on all fours and she snuggled into his fur. Jamie was standing beside him, watching me with uncertainty. North patted his head, murmuring words along the lines of "It's going to be fine."

"No it's not!" I snapped at him. I turned to him, glaring. Sophie whimpered, hiding her face in Bunnymund's fur. I felt her fear from my outburst, and I sighed. "We're running out of time." I said, trying to calm myself.

"How do you know?" North asked, frowning. I sighed again. I should have told them when I found out, but Mia had insisted I shouldn't. Why was beyond me. Maybe she thought I would go into hiding, no questions asked, and that it would be pointless in telling them when our time was up. She'd been convinced that only I could stop the inevitable, and that without my powers, time no longer mattered.

Well it mattered now.

"We only have days left." I told them. "Christmas Eve is our deadline."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Jack bellowed, instantly furious. I remained unfazed, moving away from him and towards the others.

"It doesn't matter how much time we have, but I need my powers back." I said. "What Mia said was true. What's coming is stronger than any of you put together."

"I can't control that, Faye." North said with surprising calmness. I purposely blocked out the faces of everyone else, as their judgmental stares would only anger me. They could judge me all they wanted, and even if it was late, I was stepping up. I'd been selfish to keep our time limit to myself. I was following Mia's words, but now she'd abandoned us, I was taking charge.

"I know you can't, but the Man in the Moon _can._" I said, saying no more. "You all need to guard the barriers. Forget your duties, forget the kids, just guard that barrier!"

"You can't just expect us-" Jack began, outraged. I turned on him, poked him in the chest as he advanced on me.

"I can and I am doing! This is no time for arguments, Jack. It's not just Jamie who's in danger, here."

"Jack, you should listen to her." Jamie said, his voice pleading. Jack stared down at me, his eyes ablaze and his body trembling. I glared back at him, clenching my fists at my sides. But then something caught my eye over his shoulder. Something dark, something animalistic. Something... deathly! At the same moment as I began to call out, _he _entered my mind.

_Oh, Faye, Faye, Faye. You really have gone soft. _I choked on a gasp, and my initial instinct was to push Jack out of the way. He grunted, falling to the ground.

"Get out of here!" I shrieked. The creature made of smoke and red eyes leapt over Jack and slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. I could feel Sophie's terror in my chest and I was vaguely aware of her sobbing thinning out in the air as Bunnymund fled. I fought to protect my face, the creature's jaws locking on my arms and shaking me violently. I screamed and cried out, and suddenly it was gone.

I looked up, and it was attacking North, snapping at his face. The old man fended it off with his swords, and Jack attacked with his own powers. Sandy created weapons like whips with his sand, and suddenly Tooth was in my face, demanding that I ran. I didn't need to be told twice. She and I both knew that I was no help here, and that Bunnymund would need help protect Jamie and Sophie. Sophie! I needed to get to her!

I took off in the direction he had ran in, running as fast as my legs would carry me and screaming his name. I screamed for Jamie and Sophie along the way, fighting through the shrubs. It was now that I realised that this time, Shifter was more prepared. I saw one, two, no, four shadow creatures lurking in the trees. As soon as they saw me they began to snap at my ankles, but adrenaline overrode the fear.

I was suddenly engulfed by a black fog, the creatures having vanished.

"Bunny!" I hollered. Nothing. "Bunny, where are you?"

"Faye!" Jamie. I ran faster, squinting through the fog. When it cleared, moving like live mist, I stopped dead in my tracks. The mist came to form the dog like creatures again, only there were more of them. Jamie was surrounded, trapped against a tree as the monsters snarled at him. Further on, Sophie was in a tree, crying her eyes out as Bunny cowered against a bounder, the things circling him left, right and centre.

And then, as if appearing down from the heavens, the figure of a shadowy man was before me. I heard shuffles behind me, and as I dared a glance, the other four guardians we bound by the smoke, drifting in the air as the struggled. The smoke vines were attached to the animals, acting like tails.

"Oh, Faye, you disappoint me." Shifter said. My blood ran cold as I froze in place, frightened beyond belief. I should have seen it... I should have seen it! I should have known he'd make a move! Why hadn't I known? He chuckled, and suddenly I was highly aware of him attacking my thoughts, feeding off of my panic. "Your mind is weak."

"Let them go." I sneered, although it lacked the venom I wanted it to hold. He clicked at me in mock disapproval.

"I finished listening to you the moment you bonded with me." he snarled.

"B... bond?" Jack choked behind me. I felt the back of my eyes sting as all eyes fell on me, and the usual judgmental looks were replaced by betrayal.

"Oh? You didn't tell them?" he chuckled. He extended his arms to address everyone, laughing cruelly. "Why, yes! Little Faye here had the nerve to bond with me! A shame, really. It would have been fun to try and dig out your secrets rather than have then delivered to me. You made it easier the moment you tied us. When you slept, your memories were more vivid, and giving you the illusion that I was locked out made it even better. No one is safe in their sleep, Faye."

"I... I..." I croaked. I looked at Jamie and at Sophie, who's fear radiated through me like a scotching fire. I didn't dare look back at Jack, the feel of his gaze was more than I could bare.

"You lied to us!" Bunnymund howled.

"No! No, I didn't!" I shouted. "You wouldn't have understood!"

"Yeah? Well look where it's gotten us!" Jack barked.

"Bring me the globe." Shifter cooed. I closed my eyes, shivering with silent grief. This wasn't supposed to happen! I heard resistance from North behind me, and then chuckling from the thing before me. I slowly pried my eyes open, and in his hand was indeed North's snow globe. "If not for you, dear, I wouldn't have found out about this." he murmured, stroking the glass and tapping it with his claw like nails.

"Please..." I whispered, begging for many things. I sunk to my knees, and as everyone struggled, I surrendered. He came up behind me, snagging a fist full of my mane. I yelped as he pulled me up, my feet leaving the ground.

"The fight's over. You failed." he whispered. "In less than four days, this world will be mine."

He then activated the globe, and through the portal, all I could see was white. I closed my eyes again, bracing myself.

"No! Faye!" It was Jamie, and as I went sailing through the air, I heard a struggle and a few whines of the animals. Jack bellowed the boy's name as did everyone else, Sophie screaming my own name. Just as my head met the portal, something grabbed my ankle and followed me in.

We fell through and it closed behind us, and together, Jamie and I fell through the air into the snowy lands of the North Pole.

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**Betcha didn't see that one coming ;) Review!**


	22. Connections

**I know, I know! I'm such a meanie! But I haven't made you wait too long, as I like to update everyday! It's so annoying when people don't update for weeks, I know. So here it is! Hope you like it!**

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Jamie was blue. Literally. He lay a few feet away from me in the snow, deathly still and his eyes wedged shut. I wasted no time in crawling towards him, desperately pulling him against me. I was hardly aware that I was crying, screaming his name and begging him to wake up. I scooped him into my arms but he was dead weight. I put my face next to his mouth, hoping to feel some sort of warmth escaping his lips. To my slight relief, I felt something, but it was frighteningly faint. I looked around, squinting through the falling snow and blinking against the wind. I needed to get somewhere warm, and fast. Jamie was human, and he wasn't built for this weather. If I didn't hurry, I'd lose him for good.

Through the blizzard, I saw a mountain, and at the base of that mountain was an archway to a cave. Fighting my way through the snow, I made my way towards him, stumbling constantly because of the boy's weight. His skin slowly began to glisten, and it wasn't with sweat. Ice. I couldn't focus on anything but getting him out of the weather; the frozen tears on my cheeks meant nothing, the pain souring through my body was no more than an inconvenience.

Finally, I fell out of the snow and into the rocky cave. It sheltered us from the wind and snow, and gently I placed Jamie on the ground. I pushed him snow covered hair from his face, shaking him desperately.

"Jamie! Wake up, come on! Jamie!" I shrieked. Nothing. I put my head to his chest, and although his heart was still beating, it was horridly gentle and distant.

I slapped his cheek, but I got nothing in response. Feeling desperate, I turned to the opening of the cave. The Moon was in full view, fending off the thick snow clouds, and I did all I could think on doing.

"_Help him! Jamie doesn't deserve this! Help him! Don't let him die, please!_" I bellowed so loud that it hurt my throat. I kept repeating the same things, like I was on repeat, but after a while I began to think I was speaking to the wind. Jamie began to drift further away from me, and I began to get all the more desperate. He couldn't die, not because of me! I couldn't understand why he sacrificed himself for me; I wouldn't die, I'd just be forever lost in this wilderness. What was he _thinking? _

Finally, I gave up. I broke down into crackling sobs, bowing my head into his stomach but pulling him into me. I rocked the both of us, feeling like a monster. I'd done this. Jamie was dying because of me, and everyone else was suffering because of me. Sophie's emotions were stronger than ever inside me, adding to my grief. She was scared, and she longed to have me back. But I couldn't get to her. I tried to get into her mind, just to let her known I was okay, but I was too weak with the agony of Jamie in my arms. I kept mumbling for him to wake up, begging him not to leave me. I told him he was stupid, and that he needed to wake up so I could throttle him myself. He didn't wake up.

_Faye. _Someone said to my mind. The Moon, only I couldn't feel the immense joy at hearing his voice. So I ignored him, and instead I felt something enter me though my chest. I didn't care what it was. I continued to sob, allowing whatever energy was present to fill the spaces in which my heart was breaking. I felt it travel lower, into my gut. And then I felt it. _Warmth. _I could feel a fire crackling deep inside me, at the core of my soul. I could _feel _it! Alight, hot and ready! I wasted no time in using it!

I mentally grasped the fire that was raging inside me, making it spread through the inside of my body and scorching the layers between my skin. I simply felt as if I was near an open flame, or perhaps a radiator. Looking at my arms, I could see my skin nearly glowing a gentle orange, flickering like a candle. I didn't feel relieved or blissful, only concentration. My emotions were all over the place, my dress changing from every colour in the rainbow. Gently, I hugged Jamie against me, burying his face in my feathery chest and begging anyone who would listen to me to save him.

Seconds went by, then minutes, and for a while time seemed to stop all together. I slowly began to lose hope, hugging Jamie tighter against me as if I was clinging to that last bit of belief he'd wake up. It was at this point that I felt another beam of energy seep into me, this one feeling as pure as Sophie's. I welcomed it, knowing what was happening, and I extended my own energy without even thinking about it. I felt them combine in my heart, just like Sophie's had, and I felt it burst with life. Jamie and I shuddered at the same time, and then a sigh escaped the boy in my arms as the bond was sealed.

"Faye..." he muffled. I slacked from shock, and weakly, he pulled his face free to look at me. He smiled, but it was half hearted. I cried, nuzzling his face and then looking to the Moon.

"Thank you."

* * *

A few hours later, Jamie was still clinging to my body for warmth, working up a sweat as the hours went by. I was silent for that length of time, simply marvelling on the fact that he was alive. The fact I got my key power back meant everything to me, but this time for the right reasons. Instead of simply wanting to use it for fun, I used it to save a life, and that made me feel lighter than air. But then the real fact of the situation sunk in. Sophie was in danger, and so were Jack and everyone else. Shifter had gotten to everyone I ever cared about, all to spite me. That was more than I could bare.

"This is all my fault." I sobbed, hiding my face in Jamie's hair.

"No it isn't." he objected, hugging me tighter.

"You shouldn't have done what you did, Jamie. You could have died." I moaned, pressing my head to his. He sniffled.

"You need to give yourself more credit, you know that?" he said, and I could see the laughter in his eyes. But then he went serious, and his emotions were that of concentration and a fight for understanding. "Faye? I feel weird." he said.

I smiled. "How?"

"Like... I don't know, lighter? Fulfilled?" he mumbled, confused. I grinned despite the circumstances. I tickled the walls of his mind with warmth, testing how much he had actually listened to me in the past. He frowned at the sensation, peering at me suspiciously. I pressed my palm to his heart, raising a brow, and finally he understood.

"Really?" he asked, delighted. I nodded twice. He laughed, hugging me tightly. But it was a momentary bliss. He slackened, as if the circumstances had finally dawned on him, too. "Faye, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know, Jamie." I murmured into his hair. "But we'll figure it out."

I wasn't entirely sure if we would figure it out, though. We were in the North Pole, thousands of miles away from the darkness unfolding in Burgess. The guardians were disgusted with me, heartbreakingly betrayed, so without their faith I was lost. It was their belief in me that had gotten me to this point, and I needed that now more than ever.

I had finally figured out the way bonds worked in my cases. Sophie represented affection, Shifter hatred, and Jamie I knew represented true loyalty. No one in the right mind would sacrifice themselves like that for just anyone. He had devoted himself to be the moment we met, it was clear now. His curiosity didn't kill the cat, but brought it back to life. I could feel his spirit in life running through my veins, and it was more powerful than any given gift of the heart. I knew I was stronger now with two pure bonds, but I needed more. I wrapped my head around what the guardians had represented to me, and now it all seemed so simple.

Jack was, of course, trust.

Tooth? Mutual understanding.

Bunnymund was acceptance.

North was mutual forgiveness.

And Sandy? Kindness.

I knew what the connections were, but now I needed to activate them. I needed to prove to them that I was all of those things. I needed Jack to know I could be trusted, I needed Tooth to know that I understood her like she understood me. Bunnymund needed to know that I could be accepted no matter what place I came from. North had to know that I forgave him, and Sandy had to know that his kindness was my greatest weakness. If they didn't know this, then none of these bonds could be sealed.

But how?

More time past as I tried desperately to cook up a plan. I snuck peeks into Shifter's mind, and what I saw was nothing but darkness. He was blocking me out, and this time with little effort. Sophie gave a better insight. Although her thoughts were that of a youngsters, her vision gave me enough. They were in the otherworld, and a day had gone by since the ambush. Jamie was getting anxious with thirst and hunger, much to my dismay. I was working against the clock, but I had nothing to go on.

When I was slowly succumbing to sleep, I heard something. Call me cheesy, but it sounded equivalent to magic. Musical and heart-warming. I thought I was hearing things and ignored it for a while, up until Jamie stirred from his own slumber.

"What's that?" he rumbled sleepily.

"You hear it too?"

"Uh huh."

"Then let's find out." Carefully, I picked him up with me as I stood, puffing out a breath from his heaviness. We peeked through the opening of the cave, trying to find the source of the sound. Together, we narrowed it down to only one instrument.

Bells.

Something jumped in my chest, and I was overwhelmed with determination that was not my own. It wasn't Jamie's or Sophie's, either. I couldn't even get access to his emotions. So I frowned, trying to think as to what this emotion could belong to.

And then it dawned on me. "You've gotta be kidding me." I breathed.

"What?" Jamie asked, shivering slightly against the cooler air. I shushed him, tucking his face into the crook of my neck. His arms and legs securely around me, I ventured out into the opening, my heart in my throat with hope. If I was right, then Jamie and I had a shot at getting out of here and returning to Burgess. If I was right...

There! In the gloom just a few feet from the cave! I broke down laughing, ignoring Jamie's radiating confusion as he tried to look. Coming towards us was a figure, looking very much to be a deer. Strong, wild and rebellious, I had never been more happy to see such a beast. His hooves dug into the snow, the bells dinging as he gracefully moved through the thick coat on the ground. He snorted in greeting, his breath coming out in a mist from his nostrils.

"Jamie?" I whispered. "It's time to get out of here."

Running up to the reindeer, I hopped onto his back. He bowed his head down and back, allowing me to use his antlers as steps when he realised I was struggling with Jamie. The boy was lost for words, delicately running his fingers through the animal's fur with tenderness. I told him to not let go on me as I gripped the restraints the reindeer was in, obviously there to attach him to North's grand old slay. Leaning over Jamie, I knelt down to the animal's flicking ear.

"Go to the North pole first, okay? There's something we have to do." I said. Then he reared up, giving off a demonic, powerful screech, and then dashed in the way he had come. Jamie gave off a sound of glee and excitement, and then we both laughed with immense joy as we took off in the air.

The fight was only just beginning.

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**I won't update tomorrow, what with it being CHRISTMAS! WOOO! So where ever you are or whatever you do at this time of year, Merry Christmas and have an amazing day!**

**And also? Review!**


	23. Recruiting

**Happy Boxing Day! I hope you all had a fab Christmas and got everything you wanted! Thank you for reviewing and supporting me on this story... again! :D I can't thank you enough!**

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When we got to North's palace, the second day was coming to a close, and we were thrust into the early hours of Christmas Eve. It was everywhere in North's home; he had a clock counting down the hours until he needed to leave. He had to be on his way in just seven hours, and I was dismayed by the fact he wouldn't be making such a journey. His helpers, elves and yetis alike, were panicking. The whole place was out of order, loud with noise and the mess levels rising. Toys everywhere, the other reindeer running riot, the elves screeching with panic.

Jamie said nothing, only gasp with shock upon the sight. It was warm in here, so he was able to walk rather than cling to me and my warmth. Unfortunately, fire was the only ability I had gained, and all my other powers were absent. But I had no time to be disappointed. Sophie's energy was lacking the love she thrived on and she was travelling into a world of endless fear. I tried to communicate with her, to flow warmth through her body so that she knew I was still looking out for her. It was working, but there was only so much time I could keep her above the mud.

Jamie's panic was also beginning to rise as he thought about the wellbeing of his sister and friends. However, unlike Sophie, he knew that time was running out, and there was nothing I could do to persuade him otherwise. He wanted his sister safe as much as I did, possibly more as no bond could ever surpass the relationship of siblings. As his panic and distress ran to my veins, I was also put on edge. But I needed to stay focussed, as panicking would never save anyone's head. I had one goal, and I had a number of things to do in order to reach that goal. As the panic ensued and no one noticed out presence, I took a deep breath.

"_SHUT! UP!"_

Even Jamie jumped. In the workshop, everyone obeyed my command. The rogue reindeer drifted to the ground, and my tied reindeer nudged my shoulder with his nose. I stroked his face, watched all eyes land on me and listening as the noise minimized. They huddled around us, recognising both me and apparently Jamie. A couple of the elves ran up to the boy's feet and pulled on his jeans, demanding his attention towards their greetings. I climbed onto an overturned table at my right, trying to overlook the beings before me. Once every single voice was gone, I sighed.

"That's better. Now, I know it's Christmas Eve, but now is not the time to think about delivering presents and saddling up the reindeer." I announced, and almost instantly the panic began to flow again. "Hey! Focus! The guardians are in trouble, and so is humanity itself. We need your help, and we need it _now!" _

They made noises of confusion, as if to ask me, "What should we do about it?"

It was now that Jamie came to join me on the table, grasping my hand as he did. "If you don't help us, Christmas will be over forever." he said calmly. "Santa's in danger, and so is Jack and everyone else. There's something out there wanting to take over the world, and we only have until tonight!"

"We need an army." I added, squeezing his hand. "We need every one of you to fight with us, along with any other spirit willing to help. Forget the presents, forget Christmas, and think of the people who now need you, right now."

We watched as they shuffled their feet with unease. I closed my eyes, believing that they thought I was perhaps lying. But Jamie's determination only grew.

"He has my sister." he said. "The monster has Sophie, and he's going to get every kid and adult unless we do something. Please, we need your help. Believe in us."

Suddenly, our reindeer reared up and shrieked, his bells jingling with promise. He shook his antlers aggressively, and I felt a desire to fight run though my body. I grinned as I watched all of the other reindeer do the same, and suddenly everyone in the room was punching the air and shouting with willpower.

Again, my reindeer nudged my shoulder along with Jamie's. The look in his deep brown eyes was set, as were his motives. He knelt down before his, nudging at my legs as well as Jamie's. We grinned at one another and climbed onto his back, followed by two of the elves who seemed quite attached to Jamie. As he stood, he didn't take us anywhere. It was now that I noticed a yeti pushing towards us through the crowd, who was now dispersing to find weapons from every crook and cranny. I frowned, confused, but it was when he got closer that I noticed a box in his hand.

A present wrapped in blue wrapping paper and sealed with a red ribbon. He handed it to me and stumbled off. On the name tag was my own name, addressed to only me. Jamie looked at it curiously as I hesitantly unknotted the ribbon, handing it to Jamie. Delicately undoing the wrapping, I opened the box. Inside was a note, and beneath that note was something beyond my expectations.

A mini snow globe, no bigger than my fist.

The note read: _Manny said you would need this, but I don't know why or when. So if you're reading this, then knock yourself out and do whatever it is you need to do. N. _

Pulling out the globe, I tried to focus on what was inside through my tears. Unlike his, there was an ornament; a fairy. Not just any fairy, but _me, _back in my prime. Glowing the shade of red, driven by passion and long, I was in a frozen world of flying, my wings greater than I remembered them. Jamie smiled but said nothing, instead wrapping the red ribbon around my wrist and tying it in a bow. I looked at him.

"For good luck." he said. I smiled, touching his cheek. Then, without wasting another minute, I whispered our next destination to the globe.

"Tooth Palace."

* * *

We went through the same process as before, persuading Tooth's fairies to help us. It didn't take long, especially when they learned of their leader's whereabouts. They swarmed into action, but one in particular decided to stay with me, Jamie and the two tagalongs. I recognised her instantly, placing that golden feather on her hair anywhere. It was the one who had been under my pillow that night I finally evened things out with the guardians. The one who had allowed me to stroke her front without so much as flinching. She remembered me as vividly as I remembered her, and for whatever reason, she wanted to join me on my mission to gain an army.

Our next stop was to Bunnymund's warren, although the ones we had to persuade there were a little out of the ordinary. Eggs. But, nonetheless, I gained their alliance, and they too went to prepare for the fight of their lives.

"Where now?" Jamie asked, beaming with positivity.

"Your town." I said. Before he could question it, we were flying through the portal and were back in Burgess.

"Why are we here?" he demanded, confused. Luckily, nothing here had changed, as I guessed that Shifter had gone back to the otherworld to prepare his own army. I remained focused, remaining unnerved by the thick, black clouds hovering over the town. It was beginning, but we still had time.

"There's one more group we need to gather." I said. Ahead, kids I recognised as Jamie's friends were strolling down the street. If there was one thing more powerful than anything, it was the faith and spirit in children. Jack had taught me that, merely by the way the kids influenced him. Jack Frost, the once famous rebellion only softened by the presence of kids, there was no more to it than that. Besides, it was kids that had taken down Pitch Black, and it was that belief that we all needed here and now.

"Jamie?!" a girl shrieked, aghast. I merely waited, knowing I was invisible to them. The kids ran up to Jamie, circling the reindeer and laughing at the elves. The tooth fairy stayed put on my shoulder, watching with a look of disdain.

"You kidnapped Santa's reindeer? It's Christmas Eve, Jamie!" one of them scolded, a girl who really didn't look like a girl.

"It's not like that, right Faye?" Jamie said, unfazed. He looked at me, and I silently shook my head at him. It took him a moment to understand.

"Who's Faye?"

This was it, the final test. I needed them to believe in me, and the only way to do that was with Jamie's help. I needed their belief before they could properly help us. If I needed them to help with the fight, I needed to be believed in so I could protect them. My fight was also theirs, a fight for the guardians and the world of humanity. They had to be strong, bright and determined, just like Jamie.

So Jamie jumped head first into my story, knowing what he had to do. The children listened intently to his story of my past life and the mess I got mixed up in a month ago. He told them about bonding and how he was bonded with me and so was Sophie. He told them what I looked like. _Everything. _And then he went on to say what danger was falling upon us, and that we needed their help to save the ones we all loved.

"He has Sophie, guys, and Jack can't help her and neither can the others. This isn't about saving Christmas. It's about saving my sister and our friends. You have to believe in Faye before we can do anything at all, like you believed in Jack." he finished. He paused, noting the looks of uncertainty on each and every face of his friends. Then he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a sheet of screwed up paper I didn't recognise. "Jack drew this for me; it's what she looks like."

He handed the paper to them, and they all looked at it. They all shook their heads, but before I dropped my head in defeat, the girl who had spoken earlier locked eyes with me. My heart in my throat, her eyes widened and her lips parted. As the others called Jamie crazy, she pushed through them and looked up at me, now in a full out grin.

"Pippa?" Jamie asked, sounding hopeful.

"Faye?" she said. I grinned, sliding off of the reindeer who was also flooded with joy. I knelt before her, smiling warmly.

"Hi, Pippa." I said. She laughed, clapping her hands.

"She's real! Jamie's telling the truth!" she beamed. And then, one by one, they all began to see me, all running up to me and touching me. They laughed and commented on my constant changing colours, mesmerized just as Jamie had been. The reindeer reared, now ready for action. This task was complete and he knew it. He nudged me again, smacking his hooves against the ground and startling the children. I stood, backing away from the children, and it was then that I felt the Moon watching me.

I looked up to the clouds, watching them part to show him to me. I swallowed, uneasy, and as the children got ready to go on yet another adventure, I was enveloped in a beam of moonlight.

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	24. So It Begins

**Chapter 24, enjoy! :D**

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Jack was hopeless. He was exhausted, powerless and completely useless. After two days of fighting and suffocating, he couldn't hold up for much longer. He'd failed Jamie, he'd failed Sophie, and he'd been stupid to trust Faye. She betrayed them and put harm in the sight on the children. Jamie was gone all because of her. He wanted to believe he was alive, truly he did, but he wouldn't have been able to survive in that world of ice and snow. He'd barely been able to be in the same room as Jack without shivering. He could picture it now; Jamie in a lifeless form, the same colour as his hoody, his eyes unseeing in the snow. Jack trembled with the image, burying his face in his knees and choking on a sob on the ground.

Himself, the other guardians and Sophie were in the otherworld. The shadowy entity had them bound with his own energy, the smoke tying their hands behind their backs and their ankles together. Tooth was the most bound, her wings strapped to her back and keeping her firmly on the ground. She was lying a few feet from Jack with her eyes closed, lying on her side and looking lifeless. Her wings fought every now and then, but overall she had given up. Bunnymund was beside her, his ears flat with despair. Sophie, with difficulty, nuzzled his face, seeking a response. Jack watched her whimper with sadness when she got nothing from him. Sandy was wrapped in a blanket of spoke up to his chin, strapped to a nearby rotting tree. His face spoke a thousand words, and even his fight was over. Even North had given up, slumped against a boulder and staring at his knees.

Jack struggled to get into a sitting position. Groaning, he managed to push himself up and brought his knees to his chest. Sophie looked up at him, eyes wide. He hadn't moved in hours. After hours of fighting his restraints which were just the element of smoke, he was the last to give in. Sophie shuffled over to him with great effort, whining and grunting on her short journey. She snuggled into his side.

"Jacky." she murmured.

"Hey, kiddo." he cooed, placing his cheek on her hair.

"Faye, Faye." she croaked, looking up at him with glassy eyes. He sighed.

"Faye, Faye's gone now." he said. A tear spilled over her let eyes and down her cheek.

"Jamie."

"Gone." The one tear turned into a dozen, and she began to sob. All Jack wanted to do was hold her, comfort her in some way, but he was robbed of that along with everything else. He thought that him and Faye had had a connection. He thought that she was letting him in on her life, showing signs of trust. He could relate to her; they both had similar pasts. He pictured her face the last time he saw her. She'd looked distraught, like she actually cared about his and everyone else's wellbeing. She'd met his eyes, but all he had seen was the darkness in them, the bond between her and the enemy. And then she was gone, Jamie following her through by clinging onto her ankle.

She fooled everyone.

The first day here had been agonizing. Sophie hadn't stopped screaming until hours had gone by. Surrounded by beings of exile, it was a place of horror. Mermaids had emerged from the black lake, their tails turning into legs. Two had come to investigate, and Jack had done all he could to keep them away from Sophie. Fairy like creatures had come to intimidate Tooth, mocking her and roughing her up. Goblin like creatures had swooped in on Bunnymund and North, both of which putting up a good fight despite their bounds. Sandy was the only one to be left alone, for nearly being suffocated by his restraints was a battle in itself. After hours of taunting, the leader shooed them all away, promises them that they could have their fun later.

Well, now was later.

A mermaid was slinking towards Jack and Sophie, her eyes set on the child. She was beautiful and deathly looking, with shimmering wet, red hair falling to her waist, her eyes like emerald gems. She walked with deliberate slowness, water dripping from her flawlessly pale skin. Her red lips were turned up in a smile, tauntingly so. Instantly, Jack tensed up and Sophie cowered.

"No need to be like that, mister Frost." she cooed. "I won't hurt her."

"Leave us alone." he snarled, struggling to get to his knees.

"I have no interest in hurting you." she said, her voice quieter. She glanced around, but the residents in the place were off in the distance and the ring leader was nowhere in sight. So the mermaid before them knelt down, staring each and every one of them in the eyes. "Don't give up yet. The fight is about to begin."

"Why should we believe you?" Bunnymund snapped, peeking through a flopped ear.

"We have waited a long time for this." she said.

"A long time for _what, _exactly?" Tooth said, glaring.

The mermaid gave them a long look. "Freedom. A few of us were falsely accused, and have been trapped here for centuries."

Jack watched her, looking into her eyes and searching for any sign of false sincerity. Her eyes were set, and it was a look very similar to the one Faye often had. A mix of sadness and hope, the source of his admiration for her. Faye had been empty, and Jack had watched her grow into someone worth fighting for. That is, of course, she betrayed them.

"Why should we believe you?" he said.

"You shouldn't, that's common sense. But you mustn't give up. I'm in alliance to the Man in the Moon and Mia alongside others, and that means I'm in alliance to Faye. She can release us, and she can stop big man shadow." she explained. Jack stared for a long moment. In alliance? What did that mean? She was working for the Man in the Moon? Faye hadn't said anything about Mia working with him, so yet again he was unwilling to believe her. Seeing the look in his eyes, she smiled. "You don't have to believe me, but when the final battle begins, myself and a few others are fighting with you."

With that, she walked away. Jack looked at North, Bunnymund looked at Sophie and Sandy looked at Tooth. So, even Manny had been holding out on them? Although they were all uncertain, they all stirred and became alert. Jack wasn't ready to give up. With this new information, he wanted to be ready for whatever it was that was coming. Secrets had been kept, but now he thought that everything had been leading towards this. And dammit, he was going to fight on behalf of Jamie, and he was going to protect Sophie with every fibre of his being.

* * *

Later, the air stirred. Out of practically thin air, the shadow like figure appeared before the group of different individuals. They were sitting in a row, lips set in firm lines and eyes hard with resistance. Even Sophie had stopped crying and had the look of a fighter. The figure simply laughed.

"This is the most alive I've seen you all!" he cackled. "Suddenly got a flash of hope? Of rebellion?"

"Both." Jack spat.

"That's too bad. You're just going to waste time and energy. Faye's gone, probably frozen alongside that foolish child. It's a shame I had to do that, really, she could have been so great under my wing. She was a good pet for a while during her time here. She was going to be my successor." he purred. Jack gritted his teeth, angered. Faye was many things, but she wasn't a pet. She never allowed anyone to walk over her, not even Jack. Another reason why he had been fascinated by her, for her strength and constant resistance. She refused to be dehumanized, and even Jack knew she would have never fallen to this being's level. She was bad, but she wasn't evil. Maybe she had bonded with him for their own wellbeing. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. She would have had an insight to his thoughts and would have been able to see his intentions.

But why didn't she see this?

"Did you know she wanted to bond with you all?" he taunted. Everyone looked at one another, started. He laughed, the mass of spoke shuddering. "Yes. She wanted to bond with you so she could become _good. _She wanted something to live for, and she wanted to share your powers to use them against me. It was I who was betrayed, not you."

Jack's head was whirling. She wanted to _bond _with them? Why hadn't she told them? Bunnymund let out a gasp, and he bowed his head. He was ashamed, that much was obvious. The last thing the rabbit had said to her was saying she was a liar. But no one was more ashamed than Jack; he'd blamed her for Jamie's death. It wasn't her fault. She _was _good! Then, shame was replaced by rage, and when he met the red eyes of his captor, his once chilled eyes were somewhat ablaze.

"You'll pay for this." he seethed.

"Perhaps, but right now, let's get this child to good use."

Suddenly, Sophie was free. She wasted no time in scampering to her feet, fleeing the scene and following the groups urges. But the figure only laughed, vanishing and then reappearing before her. He snagged her jumper and lifted her from the ground, levelling her eyes with his. She screamed and cried, thrashing in his hold. Jack tried to fight against his bounds, refusing to let her go like he had Jamie. Bunnymund thrashed against his restraints as did everyone else, bellowing for him to let her go. He didn't. Instead, he sighed with content.

"I've longed for this." He purred. Then, smoke vines began to close in on Sophie and zoned in on her mouth, and her screams only intensified as she tried to pull away.

In the sky, usually black and gloomy, there was a flash of light. The exiled had gathered round the group, egging the figure on, and everyone turned to look up at the sky. Even the shadow paused, looking up. For a while, no one could see a thing. But then something was visibly moving, aligned like a dart, speeding like a rocket. Out of thin air, a ball of fire illuminated against the blankness, growing brighter and brighter as the being dived.

What followed next was an explosion, vibrating through the ground and disorientating even Jack. The shadowy entity shrieked in anger, smothered in a smoke blacker tan his own. Sophie had stopped screaming.

"Sophie!" Jack bellowed.

"Sophie, where are you?" Bunnymund hollered. With the figure's disorientation, they had been released from their bounds. Jack jumped up, searching through the smoke. There! He saw Sophie running, shrieking in fright, and then a pair of arms grabbed her from behind. Could it be? Her feet left the ground as her captor took flight, holding her snugly to their front. The pair vanished in the smoke for a moment and then reappeared above it.

Then the cheering began, and Jack broke out into a grin.

Sophie was dropped onto the branch of a tree, and in that tree he watched the child reunite with her brother. His heart grew hot with relief, tears blurring his vision.

Faye hovered in the sky, grinning with triumph. For a second, Jack admired the beauty of her wings, very similar to Tooth's, working at an impossible speed. She was glowing a fiery red now, driven with determination. Himself and the guardians wasted no time in preparing for a fight, Jack snagging his staff that had been put against the trunk of a nearby rotting tree. North released his swords, Bunnymund had his boomerang at the ready, Sandy created his own weapons and Tooth had her wings poised for attack. Faye lowered herself, hovering just above them.

He felt weird for a moment, like something was seeping into him and towards his heart, making him warm for a second. He shuddered and so did the others, and then he felt the emotion of willpower stronger than he had ever felt before. He grinned, looking at the others, all sharing a knowing look.

"Let's do this, _Jazz._" Faye purred, emphasizing the same Jazz that Jack had heard before. Tooth gasped, understanding straight away, and a memory came seeping back to Jack. Jazz was the fairy who longed to be human again.

"With pleasure!" the figured screamed, and then the ground at his feet erupted into flames. Portals began opening, the ground began to part as tunnels opened, and a battle field soon became apparent.

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**Do I need to ask? :)**


	25. Battle

**Thank you thank you thank you! Thanks so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites! I didn't think this story would do well, and I'm chuffed to bits that it has! It's not over, but it will be in a few chapters I'm afraid, so prepare to say your goodbyes to Faye :(**

**Hope you enjoy this one, it took me a while to put together!**

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You know that feeling of adrenaline, where you just feel limitless? That's how I felt right now, only ten times over the normal scale. With fire, water, wind and earth running freely though my body, the power of mind control strong in my brain, and my bonds growing stronger and stronger, I felt like the most powerful being in the world. As I felt the energies of the guardians mingle with my, I felt myself change further; my blood chilled as ice became a part of my system, I felt my wings become sharper than a blade, my vision sharpened so I would never miss a target, and I also felt the power of golden sand lying in wait beneath my fingertips. The emotions of everyone around me were the same, that same desire to fight driving us to a strength beyond what we were used to. It was now that I knew that _I _wasn't the weapon, but all of us coming together. When belief, trust, acceptance, understanding, kindness _and _forgiveness came as one, you were unstoppable with the willpower to _win. _

I had little time to appreciate the element of flight. The moment that moonlight engulfed me, I relived a memory that was more of a dream. I'd doubled over with the force of his power, ripping through my body and alighting the core of my being. Something burst with life, and I felt vines spread along my spine to the layers of my skin, breaking through with next to no pain. The moment they unfolded and became my own, I felt like I was being reborn. A new light of life soured through me, springing everything broken back into place, sealing all the hope that had slowly been on the mend. And when I looked up to see Jamie smiling a smile brighter than the sun, I knew that he, Sophie and everyone else who had entered my life was worth fighting for. So the moment I got my bearings, I took Jamie into my arms, held him close to my front, and took off into the sky. I screamed for the otherworld at the globe, lobbing it into the air and flitting through the portal, leaving the cheering children behind. The reindeer and tooth fairy knew what to do.

So after dropping Jamie safely into the high branches of a tree, here I was. Now reunited with his sister who he held close to his body, I had one worry to forget about. I dropped to the ground, watching the portals all around us opening. Jack looked at me briefly, and then took my hand in his. This spoke a thousand words, and squeezing his hand spoke a thousand more. His trust in me was strong, and it grew stronger with each passing minute. I thrived on that, glaring at Shifter, A.K.A Jazz, with a ferocity beyond my normal hostility towards him.

I'd known for a while now, the moment I saw that memory of him airborne. The loathing that was attached to every cell, the constant thoughts of humans, and of course the feeling of wings as he soared the skies. It all made sense. Jazz had wanted to be human, but you couldn't bring the dead back to life. So he flourished on the life of humans instead, as it was the closest he would ever get. To him, human energy was as addictive as flight was to me. It made his heart beat again and his blood flow, and when he was banished after the last Dark Ages, he became nothing but a mass of poisoned smoke. It also explained how he could bond with me; we had once been of the same species.

As the masses of elves, yetis, fairies, reindeer and children gathered, coming to join us from behind, I smirked. I noted on some of the exiled also joining that group; two mermaids, a group of human to animal shape shifters, very unlike Jazz, and those fairy like creatures without the wings I had seen of the day of my abduction, a female and her two children. The rebels also lined up behind Jazz, but this only pumped me up with excitement. At last, I knew why the Moon had created me. I was born for this very moment, the battle to end all battles, and I couldn't have been more excited.

"You're making a mistake, Faye." Jazz snarled, morphing into a dog and stalking towards me. Jack tightened his hold on my hand, and with my other I lifted it, palm up. Fire illuminated, turning in to a ball and barely kissing the skin of my palm.

"I've been making mistakes my whole life, but this one is probably going to be the best one I've ever made." I said, and not missing a beat, I plunged that fire ball into the dog's face. He screeched, vanishing for a moment. The second I initiated the fight, everyone screamed and cried, and the two crowds began to charge at one another. Fairy hybrids took flight at the same moment me and every other airborne spirit did. The children climbed the backs of the reindeer, who charged with their antlers facing the enemy. North, Bunnymund and the rest of our grounded group ran for the enemy, and the second Jack let go of my hand, good and bad collided.

I slammed into that of a hybrid, a cross between a bird and some kind of creature I can't name. I only caught sight of brown feathers and a face, and that face was nothing short of demonic. Leathery skin, teeth sharper than the tip of a chef's knife, and eyes wilder than a stray dog's. It snapped at me face, teeth meeting metal, and the two of us tumbled for just short of three seconds. I grabbed a leathery skinned ear, yanking its head away from me and sending fire down its throat. From the inside out, it burst into flames, as turned to ash and it soured to the ground with ear pounding screamed.

I hovered, searching for Jazz, but he was nowhere to be seen. But I saw Tooth plummeting to the ground, getting mauled by some pixie like creatures no bigger than my hands. I dived after her, shouting her name and extending my hand. With all the strength I had, I threw up upwards, and with the speed of her ascent the pixies were unable to cling on. Once free, Tooth's minions came to take over and she focussed her attention on bigger fish, but not without a look of gratitude towards me.

And then I saw him. Ahead, a gathering of smoke turned into that of an eagle, and came diving towards me. I grinned and met him in his invitation, flying at the speed of light. In a flash, the creature morphed into something else, something that threw me off; Jazz, the _original _Jazz. Pale skin, black shielding, and a body of a teenage boy. Of course, he didn't wear a dress, for his skin/clothing was that of a jumpsuit, the only flesh on show being his head, hands and feet. He still had the metal plating around his head and the puffy mane around his chest, and the wings were identical to mine.

"Surprise!" he bellowed, and rammed into me. He clawed at my face, then snagged my mane and slammed him feet into my stomach, winding me. I slashed at his face with the tip of my wings, making his wail as something of black blood gushed from his cheek. He released me, attacking me with his own form of energy. I released the same energy from my fingertips, blocking it. With that energy, I added ice, letting it freeze its way towards him. He yelled as it entered his body, freezing him on the inside. I could feel the intensity of the cold he felt, and the weight he suddenly gained and he plunged to the ground.

A scream. Sophie. I turned, and to my horror I saw gremlin type creatures climbing the tree they were stationed in, and the pair dropped in order to escape them. I found Jack's eyes above me, and together we dived towards the kids who meant the world to us. As the gremlins made chase, Jack grabbed Jamie and I grabbed Sophie. Side my side, we sought out the reindeer, fighting off creatures of darkness and the children kicking them away. I was amazed for a moment; with a simply touch from a child's hand, a creature turned into golden dust. My reindeer, fighting alone, saw us approached, and we placed the children onto his back.

"Keep them safe!" I bellowed at him, also to the others. "All of them!"

"Look out!" Jack hollered.

"Faye!" Jamie screamed.

"_Come here!_" and then I was being dragged through the sky, above the clouds, yanked by my mane. Jack tried to chase, but Jazz kicked him square in the face, knocking him out. I screamed for him as he fell, losing hold of his staff as he did. I didn't get to see his fate for the black clouds engulfed us before I could.

A force attacked my stomach and I somersaulted through the air.

"We could have been so great together." he snarled, and then kicked me under my chin. I screamed, pain racing through my head. "We could have been so powerful!" he head butted my face, and then grabbed my mane and pulled me against him, nose to nose. "We could have been perfect." he purred, and then he reached for my wings, snapping them. I screamed in agony, the pain darting into my spine. I began to fall, but something wrapped around my ankles. I hung upside down, Jazz smirking as he controlled the smoke that grasped me.

"Being bad will get you nowhere, Jazz!" I bellowed. He rattled me a little.

"And being good? Look where that's gotten you." he cackled.

"At least I have something to live for." I snapped. I snapped my fingers, lobbing a fireball into his face. I didn't miss, but he refused to let face. His skin sizzled, and his red eyes were even more aflame. I used the ice technique again, but he blocked it off by releasing me but catching me with fresh energy. I threw some of Sandy's energy into his face, but that did no more that sting him. I flopped like a dead animal, seemingly giving up. I felt his triumph, meaning his guard was down, and with a smirk I plunged myself into his mind.

In his head, I planted the image of his body on fire. I imagined the pain, defining it as being in the heat of the sun, and I pictured his screams so vividly they turned into reality. I pulled out, and sure enough he was thrashing, rattling me again as he tried to fight the fire that wasn't there. I tried to work my wings, and with painful effort I straightened them out. Flapping them with urgency, I sliced through the smoke, releasing myself. Fleeting away, I searched through my bonds.

Sandy was fighting good and strong, a whip in one hand and a sword in the other. Thanks to him, Tooth and Jack, all the airborne creatures were defeated, lying unconscious on the ground. Jack was weak but okay, taking refuge in a tree to try and refocus. North was working alongside his workers, all of which fighting and winning. Bunnymund was leading many astray, taking them underground but trapping them there in the process. He'd managed to take some out with his boomerang, too. And Jamie and Sophie? They were giving the exiled a piece of their minds along with all the other children.

I emerged from the clouds, diving still for Jazz had come out of his trance. Yet again he plunged into me, sending us both ploughing to the ground with bone breaking speed. Dust rose from our collision, and suddenly, everything stopped. His hand wound around my throat, silencing me as he straddled me. My wings ached in protest, and he began to slam me into the ground. Around us, the guardians and kids winced with our shared pain, shuddering with every cry that escaped me. They tried coming to my aid, but I bellowed to their minds; _No! This is my fight, not yours! _

"You have nothing!" he snarled. "No family, and if you think these buffoons care about you, then think wrong! You're an outsider, Faye, a dark entity and you always will be. No one will ever _love_ you! You're weak if you think you can love, let alone be loved. You lost that emotion the moment you killed all those people."

"Stop it!" I choked, turning my face away.

"You never were able to face the truth. But in the end, people like you and me always get worst off. For the rest of our lives we will be punished. But it's time to punish _them! _We deserve revenge!" he roared, ramming me into the dirt one last time. I choked some more, trying to kick at him stomach and claw at his hand around my throat. I sizzled his flesh, but I could feel that he was immune now. He was too angry and filled with loathing to care.

"What are... you... living... for, Jazz...?" I croaked, looking him in the eyes.

"Revenge! I want to be human! The Man in the Moon took that away from me!" he bellowed.

"No... You're... living for... power..."

"Wrong."

"You want... me... my... power..." I was going dizzy, unsure of what I was saying now. Was he... _draining _me? I felt as if the air was being sucked out of me, pulled from my core, and I was descending into nothing. No. _No! _I pulled it back into my body, playing tug of war. He would _not _drain me! He wouldn't!

"Don't fight me!"

Then I heard a whistling. Speed. I could _hear _speed. Wings humming together, a number of them. Jazz heard it, too. It was a sound only we could hear, only our kind could hear.

"Get. Away. from. My. _Friend!" _someone shrieked in rage, and it was a voice I knew well. I broke out into a grin, and Jazz shrieked in anger when a ball of blue energy raged into him and knocking him off me. Jack and Tooth were instantly by my side, helping me to my knees. I looked up, and then I saw it.

Mia, backed up by seven others of our kind, along with Dotty and Lou. Dotty was the smallest of them all, having died when she was just fourteen as a human. She had the features of a child, with big emerald eyes that used to go with long, red flowing hair. Lou had olive toned skin and was the thinnest of them all, leaner than even myself. The other seven consisted of four males and three females, all looking placid as they looked at Jazz. Mia floated to the ground and pulled me to my feet.

"You were right." was all she said. Jazz groaned from the ground, and without a thought I encircled him in flames, blocking him from the view of everyone else. I knew now how to kill him. I knew just seconds before Mia arrived. She, along with the others and the guardians, created a barrier of protection around me, and I noticed that the exiled were closing in on us. But I shook my head at them, stepping out of their circle and facing them all.

"You don't have to fight!" I called out. "You don't have to follow his orders! Don't let him manipulate you! You're all stronger than that and you know it! Each and every one of you can have a second chance, just like I did. It's not too late. Prove you're worthy and you can be free. Prove that by ignoring his orders, and don't cross that barrier."

They all looked at one another, muttering and some snarling at what they thought was a lie. It wasn't. They could all be free. The reason they were here was because they had worked with Jazz, right from the beginning.

"You're here because of him. It's not the guardians you should be fighting, but _him." _

"She's right!" a female shouted, a mermaid. A red head, at that. She was one who had joined our army.

"It was all his fault!" someone else bellowed, an opposition.

Slowly, all around, they began to chant in agreement. They closed in, but not on us but Jazz. I heard him scream with agony that wasn't there, and I doubled over, feeling the same pain. All I can describe it as was being drowned. Everyone's doubt doubled up in my lungs, weighing me down and clogging up my airway. That was what he lived on. Power and worship. He wanted me to worship him because he knew of my power. He could feel it when he bonded with me, even though I couldn't. He'd wanted my power to be his own, and he wanted to be the leader of these beings. He was driven by greed and lust, and with just some simple words, I was taking it all away from him. But that wouldn't finish the job. That was _my _job. Whether I wanted to or not, I had to take his power.

All of it.

I sent this thought to everyone I was bonded with, telling them not to follow me. With effort, I staggered through the flames towards Jazz, picking him up from under the arms and taking flight. I just about saw Jack grasp Mia's arm, keeping her from following me. I didn't want them to see what I was about to do, because I sure as hell didn't want to do it. It was the only way, though.

Off in the distance, I gently placed his screaming form on the dirt. I pinned him there by his shoulders, my heart lodged in the lower parts of my gut. His screamed vanished into the distance and I looked straight into his eyes, entering his mind towards his soul. Closing my eyes, I let myself see the self destruction of his being, years in the making. His soul was like rust, worn away by the shadow he used as his power and making his as rough as he was. I didn't want this to last any longer than it needed to. I opened my mouth, and I began to breathe in an endless breath.

I don't know how long it took. A minute, five, maybe an hour. Somehow, I managed to store his energy in my own dark locker, a place I refused to touch. My human memories. I hated going back and reliving my past life, and it was the only place I knew I would never visit. So I poisoned those memories for good measure with this energy I didn't want. Sure, I would forever know why I was here and how I had ended up here, but to know I would never have to relieve them memories was good enough to keep me going. I was done with the past.

When I was done, I flopped to my side with exhaustion. Jazz was wheezing, trying to find some sort of energy to cling on to for life. Literally. But the only source he had left was our bond, and sure enough, even that began to break. It wasn't painful, though. It was a sense of relief, the lifting of a burden. It just... dissolved. And then, right before my eyes, Jazz made one final surprise.

He turned back into a human. A naked boy no older than I was, with shaggy brown hair and shimmering chocolate brown eyes. He had been handsome, too, with sharp features and pale skin against that warm brown. His eyes met mine, and I sighed.

"You got your wish." I whispered.

And then he vanished like a ghost, and I was engulfed by a deafening silence.

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**Yes, no, maybe?**


	26. Goodbye

**Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter, there's still the epilogue!**

**But enjoy this one all the same, and thank you all for supporting me through this story! :D**

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I must have passed out. I came to slowly, a cool hand on my neck in an effort to rouse me. I was on my back, my muscles burning ferociously, and it was an effort in itself just to open my eyes. Someone was cooing my name, gently, the voice like velvet. I recognised it as Mia's, and I mentally embraced it.

"You did it, Faye." she whispered, her breath warm on my face. "You did it."

Had I? If that was so, then why was I still here? Defeating Shift... _Jazz, _had been my purpose, so why was I still alive? Someone hoisted up upper half up, pulling me against them. I forced my eyes open, touching the hands that had locked together at my stomach. They emerged from blue sleeves, and I registered the immense cold that had overcome me. I fought the urge to shiver. I also saw that Jamie was beside me, clutching my hand, and Sophie was sitting on my legs, watching me with worried eyes, or _eye, _for her hair was in the way. And then there was Mia, her nose barely touching mine, her eyes looking massive as they stared in to mine.

"Why am I still here?" I asked, my voice small. She smiled.

"It isn't you who had to say goodbye." she answered. For a moment she made no sense. I tried piecing together her words, but it wasn't until I diverted my gaze from her orbs that I understood. She was growing transparent. She was... vanishing.

I became alert instantly, falling towards her and being caught in her arms. She laughed, but there was a small sob behind it. No. No, no, no, no, no! This couldn't happen. She couldn't _go! _She needed to be here, with me! I needed to show her how much she meant to me, I needed to repay her for her help. I needed to take back all the bad thoughts I had concocted on her, because she was a friend, my friend! She hadn't abandoned us, but had gone to get help! She couldn't leave me!

I felt the others move away to give us space, good and exiled alike, and soon enough we were alone as they walked into the distance.

"You can't go." I croaked.

"Shh... I must. My purpose has been completed." she murmured.

"So has mine!" I cried. She gently pushed me away, placing her head against mine. She smiled sadly, tenderly shaking her head.

"No. You're a guardian, Faye, your purpose is everlasting. Jamie and Sophie need you, the guardians need you, and every human being in this world needs you. But me? The Man in the Moon set me my purpose, and only now have I learned to embrace it. Only when you told me of our cowardice that I knew I have been _your _personal guardian for most of your life, human and fairy alike. The Moon gave me my wings back to seal my purpose, and I was able to gather one last line of defence in your honour. My purpose was to bring you to this moment, to protect you. Well, you've done it, and there's nothing left here for me." as she spoke, she slowly faded, and even her very presence in the air grew thin. She was crying and so was I, both our hearts breaking.

"I need you." I whispered.

"You don't need anyone, you're your very own protector. I was just a rail of support for you." she wiped a tear away with her thumb. "And you know what? It was worth it. I'm happy. I'm not scared anymore, and I finally understand why Poppy wasn't scared. So I ask one more thing off you."

"Anything."

"Don't be afraid to _live." _And then she kissed my nose, nuzzled my face, and finally clasped my hands. "Goodbye, Faye Cameron." She said, smiling broadly. She was like a mirage now, a ghost from the past. I sniffled.

"Goodbye, Mia."

And then she was gone.

I wasn't alone for long. Out of nowhere, Jamie and Sophie came bolting towards me, more than likely feeling my grief. They slammed into me, knocking me over as they smothered me in a hug. I held them both close, and soon enough I felt the arms of the guardians encircle us, concealing us in a ball of tight friendship, nothing more. They grieved with me, and after a while, we rejoiced our victory in silence. We all felt the breakage of the barriers, and through our circle, I saw a portal, much larger than the ones North had the ability to create. It was a gateway into the human world. And yet, no one ventured towards it. All eyes were on us, smiling, some clapped. Slowly, I extracted myself from the circle, looking at them all.

The mermaids I had seen before came towards me, the one with red hair grasping my hands. The one beside her simply smiled at me. Her hair was black and braided, folded over one shoulder, and her eyes were a smoky grey. Of course, she was beautiful, too. But it was the redhead who spoke with words of pride.

"Thank you, Faye." she said. "You have freed us from the burden that was Jazz."

I shook my head. "Thank you for helping us."

A small laugh escaped her. "We have waited for this day for centuries. It was the least we could do. Just know one thing, young one." she leaned in to whisper in the area of where my ear was concealed behind my shielding. "Even if you feel it, even if you see it, you are _never _alone." She kissed the spot of my forehead. "You did Mia proud." Her companion also kissed the same spot, and then they moved away. Those fairy creatures came then, the mother and two children. They said nothing, only kissed that same spot, following by the shape-shifters in their place.

I hadn't even noticed the cheering that had erupted during this short time. I turned around and around, grinning and crying at the same time. I was overjoyed by the emotions of my bonds, but also saddened for my loss. Jack was in front of me, laughing and pulling me into an embrace. I hugged him back, laughing with him. He pressed his forehead to mine, looking at me for a while. I felt his pity seep into me, saving him the words of apology I didn't want to hear. Grateful, I hugged him again, just glad that I hadn't lost him, but in fact had him closer than ever. Him, and all of the others, were embedded permanently in my heart.

Tooth was next to embrace me, giddy beyond measure. But then she asked me something I hadn't expected. "What's your centre, do you think?"

I looked at her for a moment. "Purpose." I said.

I was the guardian of purpose. I had searched my entire life for my purpose, and since I was the only one who would live on forever with an everlasting reason, it only seemed logical. I'd guide children to their purpose whenever they were lost, just like I was going to guide Jamie and Sophie. Tooth accepted this with a fond smile, and then Bunnymund ploughed me to the ground with a gesture of delight.

Sandy did no more than tilt a hat to me, which was more than enough. And North? I walked up to him, smiling. Jamie came up beside me, taking on hand and handing me my gift to the other.

"Thank you." I murmured. He winked.

"You don't need this now." Jamie said, tugging on the ribbon around my wrist. I shook my head.

"I'll leave it on, I think." I said, ruffling his hair.

"Faye, Faye!" Sophie shrieked, demanding my attention. I laughing, picking her up and holding her close. I rocked her a little, never breaking my gaze away from North.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Are you ready to be a guardian?" he answered.

"More than ever." I said. All went silent, and in came a yeti carrying a book bigger than Sophie. Where the heck had he come from? I shook my head, telling myself that anything was possible, and watched as he handed the book to North.

"Big book." Sophie noted. Jamie rolled his eyes.

"Duh." he said. Jack came up behind him and gently patted the back of his head with his staff, saying:

"Be nice."

North cleared his throat, and we all focussed again. "Will you, Faye Cameron, help to watch all of the children of the world, to guard them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, their dreams, for they are all that we have, are all that we are, and all that we will ever be?" he spoke with tenderness from the book, warming my heart up just a touch. For once, I knew my answer straight away, and I didn't care that I was devoting myself to one thing. I was done searching for things, as this was all I had ever been searching for. A reason.

"Yes." I whispered. Jack nudged me with his elbow.

"Welcome to the crew, Pix, you are forever more a guardian."

Everyone cheered for the second time, all apart from Sophie, who had fallen asleep in my arms. I frowned.

"We need to get her and Jamie home." I said. "Their mother will be worried sick." I slipped the sleeping girl to Bunnymund, who hunched down so I could place her on his back. She snuggled into his fur, and all looked at me questioningly. "Take the kids home. There's something I have to do."

* * *

When they were all gone, darting through the gateway in to the human world, I turned to the ex exiled. There was one more thing that had to be done. They had nowhere to go, only here where everything was as good as dead. No food, no fresh water, and I intended to change that. I had my powers back, including the elements of water and earth.

"Where will we go?" called out a creature from the crowd.

"You are staying right here." I said, and took flight. For a moment, they burst out in a rage, but then they all gasped in shock. Using the element of fire, I first evaporated the black liquid that was what we called a lake, and then replaced it with water equivalent to spring water. I did this in no more than five minutes, and the mermaids wasted no time in launching themselves into the freshness of the liquid.

I then soared just above the ground, bringing it to life with greenery, flowers and grass sprouting from the black soil. The energy travelled through the ground and towards the roots of the trees, and they too were brought back to life. Leaves sprouted, petals emerged, and the smell of death was replaced by the smell of sweetness. Throughout this, the black clouds above began to part, revealing what was indeed a blue sky.

The cheers erupted once more, and before I was caught up in a flurry of thanks and heart filled goodbyes, I dashed through the portal.

* * *

When I arrived in the human world, I was greeted only by Jack on the roof of Jamie's home. The sun had gone down, and it was coming up for midnight. North had taken off in his haste to achieve his duty, with the help of the others. And so it was just Jack and I, sitting in silence as I remarked silently on Mia's memory.

After a while, he spoke. "Their mom thought that Jamie ran away and took Sophie with him. He's grounded. And yet he didn't blink an eye throughout his telling of, brave kid. She looked like a monster." We laughed gently at that comment. "He's asleep now. He's wants to see you in the morning."

I sighed. "I won't be here in the morning."

"What?" he asked, meeting my eyes. I smiled. As much as I wanted to stay, the danger was over, and I wanted to explore. I hadn't seen the updated world yet. I wanted to see all over the countries and see how they had evolved. I wanted to learn of Mia's history if it were possible, and revisit the place I was born and raised. I was a creature of freedom, but I was also a creature who also needed to be with my own kind. I would go and find Dotty and Lou, and meet those who had come to my aid and befriend them if it were possible.

"I'll come back, given time." I said. "I just need to embrace what I have back, and appreciate it more than I used to."

"But we need you here, Jamie and Sophie need you here." he said, looking upset. I smiled again, touching his cheek.

"I'll know when you truly need me, in here." I said, and placed my hand over the place where his heart would have been. "You emotions are mine, remember?"

"When will you leave?" he said after a few minutes of silence.

"In the morning, when the sun comes up."

"And where will you go?"

"Where ever the wind takes me."

And sure enough, the following morning, I took to the skies and rode with the wind, leaving Burgess behind.

For now.

* * *

**Nearly time for goodbyes :(**


	27. Epilogue

**This is it guys! :(**

* * *

3 Months Later

The night sky was full of children's dreams. Literally. Golden sand vines broke through the darkness, just like they did every night. They travelled to the windows of children's bedrooms and settled above their head, planting a pleasant dream in their minds. Some dreamt of ponies, others of becoming a superhero. But these vines also brought enjoyment from beings who were awake, furthermore, people like Jack Frost.

He zipped through the air, riding the wind. He gave Sandy a brief greeting, circling him and dodge a gold ball of dust being lobbed playfully in his direction. He laughed at the mute guardian and then dived, racing the vines which turned into a pack of wolves bolting through the sky. Jack tried to race against them as fast as he could, but he was no match compared to Sandy. The pair always played this game, as it was a pass time for Jack and a way of giving Sandy something fresh to do other than deliver dreams. Of course, he loved doing both.

The thing was, Jack lacked a small amount of his enthusiasm. It had been three months since he watched Faye take to the skies, flying into the light of the rising sun and vanishing from sight. He'd heard nothing from her, only the occasional emotion she felt here and there. He, along with the others, relished these moments. They missed her dearly. To have her embed herself so firmly under their skins only to vanish was a bit of a hard hitting shock, especially when the others hadn't gotten to say goodbye.

Jamie and Sophie took the hardest hit. Sophie asked for her guardian every day, and even searched for her through the bond. One time, two weeks after her departure, she'd burst out "England!", and continued to say it all day long. Jamie often became overcome with her emotions; sometimes he got angry, sometimes he got annoyingly happy. When Jack spoke to him of this, he merely said he couldn't help it, and that when he felt her he clung to her with all his might.

Jack perched himself on the roof of a house in Burgess, looking up at the stars, and then looking at the moon as the wolves vanished into the night.

"Where is she?" he asked. He got no response from him, but he hadn't expected one. Manny never spoke out unless it was absolutely needed. Obviously, Faye was in no danger and had a right to do as she pleased, and if she wanted to spend months away at a time then so be it. Jack did it here and there, during the summer months. He had no place in Burgess during summer, and he couldn't forever cover the town in snow. Even Jamie longed for some sunshine at times. But during his absence, he just caused through elsewhere and interacted with other children who believed in him. He was never gone for months at a time, always coming to visit Jamie at least every three weeks during the summer. This was mostly because something terrified Jack, and that was the thought of the boy not believing in him anymore. He couldn't stand that thought, and always came back just to make sure he remembered. Of course, he never let Jamie know this. It took two to tango when faith was involved.

He wondered how much longer she would stay away for. What if she never came back? She was a solitary creature, after all, or at the very least liked to be with her own kind. Jack would never be her own kind, bound or not. She would always slip through his fingers due to the natural instinct she possessed, and even ice wouldn't keep her frozen in place. Of course he was selfish to wish he _could_, but she had a hold on him. Whether she knew that or not was beyond him, but it certainly wasn't a grasp caused by the bond. It was more than that. Far more.

Something caught his eye in the sky. The golden lights were glowing richer than ever, but here and there a small portion would black out. He squinted, curious. In a matter of seconds, the lights seemed like they were flashing, almost like Christmas lights. He looked up at Sandy, who was laughing to himself as he watched what was going on. Jack's feet left the tiles of the roof, the wind slowly taking him into the air as his curiosity grew. And then, along with the gold, colours dotted here and there, blinking and changing in the blink of an eye.

He broke out into a huge grin, and took off up towards the lights.

* * *

Dotty was a flash of green beyond the gold, swooping and soaring with a smile brighter than the sun. Lou was bright yellow, blending with the gold but also standing out in her own way. And me? Well, I was the colour red, blood red and bright with passion and excitement. I weaved between my two companions, swinging from their hands in fluid motions as we raced with Sandy's energy. Sandy sent a wave of sand hurtling my way, and I broke through it with speed that was beyond my normal flying capacity, and the sand sprinkled over the world down below. I was overcome with joy, after three months of researching, exploring and embracing, I was finally back to where I started.

Home.

The golden vines began to weave between houses, and I left my friends to race against it. I was faster, more agile, and I could feel Sandy's determination to not let me beat him. I grinned, looping around laundry lines in back gardens and swinging from lamp posts, effortlessly keeping up with the dream lights. My wings were stronger than ever, propelling me forward and working so fast that they were practically invisible, only a faint buzz in my ears.

Finally, I was thrust into fresh air. Sandy gave up, collapsing his energy. I laughed and rose up, spreading my arms apart and simply gliding with the wind. Dotty zoomed past me, grasping my hand as she did and spun me around. Lou joined us, grasping us in a hug. We laughed among ourselves, holding hands and forming a small circle.

"So this is home, huh?" Lou said, looking around.

"Yep." I said.

"It's beautiful." Dotty murmured. "Now I know what Mia had meant."

We went quiet for a moment. When I left, the first thing I had done was to go in search of Dotty and Lou. I found them in Australia messing around with the wildlife there and bonding with them all the while. How I came to find them was a mystery to me. I believe that the Moon helped guide me, but I mostly followed my gut feeling. They loved hot climates. So when I found them, they welcomed me with open arms. The same night we grieved quietly for Mia, as she had also been their close friend as well as mine. We had simply sat on the sandy ground, joined by our hands, and closed our eyes in remembrance.

They had later told me about her act of bravery. The Moon had told her where to find them, and at the time they had been twenty miles away from Burgess, up north. She'd trekked for days, through harsh weather and without food, and when she'd reached them she was more of a corpse than a wingless fairy. She'd told them about the situation, and at first the two had declined, acting out of cowardice. But then she told them the same speech I had and that we needed to be stronger. Once convinced, Dotty carried her as they soared the skies searching for the others. And finally, once the task was complete, the Moon granted her wings back. After that, Dotty and Lou told me about her human life, something she never spoke of herself.

Mia had been a British girl as a human. She'd lost the accent over the centuries, but she had come from a high class family, the Cotton's family. She died in the Victorian Era, aged just sixteen. She'd grown sick with an unknown disease, and although she suffered for weeks on end, she passed on soundly in her sleep. I visited her grave east of London, lonely and un-kept. Her stone was scratched and worn, leaves burying it from sight. The least I could do was clear it, and I grew some flowers for her. Poppies, to be exact. Beyond her grave had been a great oak tree standing proudly. At the time, I'd been clutching on the globe, unsure of what to do with it. I had nowhere to put it, and I wouldn't be using it for a while. I wanted to stay in the human world, permanently. So I dug a hole at the base of that tree and buried it there, wanting to keep it close to Mia who I would visit for the rest of eternity. It was the only place that seemed logical to put it, somewhere meaningful.

I went home after that, on the outskirts of Virginia. My hometown was still standing, and there was a monument in memory of the fire one hundred years before. Names of the many that had died were engraved on it, naming every soul that had perished including myself. However, when I went to the graveyard in which the said names were matches to a grave, mine and Arthur's were a difficulty to find. But I eventually did, but the only thing is that our bodies were never recovered. We'd fallen from the bridge, crashed down boulders that had shattered our bones, and then ended up in the water. We would have been washed out to sea. Our grave stones were side by side, but the only difference was is that Arthur still had visitors come to his. Fresh flowers rested before his stone, where as mine was bland and forgotten. Of course, Arthur's family would have been carried down by his sister, who rested not far from him.

I left content, glad to know that he was still remembered.

After that, I just explored the world, and then I ended up back here. Dotty and Lou had insisted on accompanying me, saying that they were looking for somewhere else to locate, anyway. After all, they were still looking for their purposes.

"Faye?" called a voice. Dotty and Lou were gone in an instant, and below, Jack looked up at me with wondrous eyes. I grinned, a fresh wave of joy overcoming me, and he bolted towards me. His embrace was next to unbearable, but I rejoiced all the same and clung to him. I came home for a reason. As much as I needed to be free, I also needed to be with my family. The guardians were my form of family now, and I had missed them throughout my absence. So seeing him, here with me, I couldn't hold back and clung to him tightly, pressing my head to his.

Something in me stirred. A question, bouncing from Jamie's bond. It electrified me as it quickly turned to disbelief and then excitement, and soon Sophie was to follow. I looked and Jack and he looked at me, and we grinned at the same time. I sent an image of the children's roof to their minds, the message clear. Taking Jack's hand, we flew in that exact direction.

"Where's the globe?" Jack asked as we flew hand in hand. I smiled.

"Somewhere safe." I said.

When we swooped towards Jamie's house, the window on the roof began to push up and open. Jamie climbed out, Sophie on his back. It was late, and his mother would have been sleeping no doubt. I choked with happiness upon seeing them, having missed them with every fibre of my being. So I rose, planning to come up behind them as I let go of Jack's hand. I zoned in on Sophie, who was screaming my name, and then swooped her into my arms and pressing her back to my front. Jack did the same with Jamie, and together we took to the skies with our purposes in living. Sandy challenged us again, and we raced with them through the night while the children cheered with glee. Within me, happiness sparked from the others who were not present, and I could feel them stop what they were doing just to acknowledge my return.

Lou and Dotty came on either side of us, and we flew to the stars.

My name is Faye Cameron, and I'm a fairy. I'm not your fairy from the stories you've read, or the little pixies that couldn't hurt a fly. I'm more than that. I'm a guardian. And if you ever feel like you want to give up hope on everything, and have lost sight of who you are, remember something. If you feel a burst of hope in your chest, stop and wonder, and maybe, just maybe, you'll see a flash of colour from the corner of your eye. If you see that, that is all you will ever need.

You are never alone.

* * *

**That's it! Faye's story's over *cries*! I want to say thank you all so so much for the support, this is the second most successful story I've done! Also, many of you have asked about a sequel, but to be honest, I think Faye's story is over for now as she has nothing left to tell. I've left the Faye/Jack up to your imaginations, since the majority was against the couple. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**Until next time, adios!**

**xxx**


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